After being approved by the Washington State Senate last week, the state's House of Representatives has passed the bill legalizing same-sex marriage in Washington with a majority vote of 55 to 43! The bill now goes to Governor Christine Gregoire, who will have five days to sign the bill into law - just in time for Valentine's Day!

Governor Gregoire, in her final year of office, set the stage for swift passage of the bill in January when she announced her support for legalizing same-sex marriage in Washington. Although the bill would not take effect until June, this might be the perfect time for those Washington couples waiting to tie the knot to get engaged!



This incredible news comes on the heels of yesterday's 9th Circuit Court decision to uphold Judge Vaughn Walker's ruling that declared Proposition 8 unconstitutional, and today serves as another massive push forward for equal rights. Of course, anti-gay activists are have already begun taking steps to battle the decision - including a proposed referendum to be voted on in the fall election; but we must continue to fight. We won't take our rights for granted.

We were so fortunate to be able to visit Seattle in 2010 to host an open photo shoot (two of our favorite photos from which we've shared in this blog), and we received such an incredible welcome from the community there. We think of them today.



"Today, gay and lesbian couples in Washington are feeling the same joy we felt yesterday, and we're so happy to be able to share that with them. These past few days have been amazing for all of us, and we celebrate that. We also need to remember, however, that we all have a responsibility to acknowledge how much further we have to go and do whatever we can to achieve equal rights for every single gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender American."

- Adam Bouska & Jeff Parshley, NOH8 Co-Founders





BE HEARD!