Spectators in the House gallery applaud after legislators approved gay marriage last week. Wash. gov. signs gay marriage law

Washington state Gov. Christine Gregoire signed a measure legalizing gay marriage on Monday, making the state the seventh in the nation to allow same-sex marriage.

The law will take effect on June 7. Gregoire, a Democrat, signed the bill in the state Capitol just after noon, PST. Fighting back tears throughout her speech, Gregoire said the day marked a “very proud moment.”


“We’re here today to make history in this great state,” she said.

In an emotional address, Gregoire recounted several personal stories of gay and lesbian constituents who contacted her after she announced she supported gay marriage. The governor also thanked her two daughters and other young Washington residents “who tell us that marriage equality is the civil rights issue of their time.”

“We did what was right, we did what was just, we did what was fair,” she said.

Democratic state Rep. Jamie Pedersen and state Sen. Ed Murray, the prime sponsors of the marriage equality legislation, also spoke at the signing ceremony. Pedersen, a gay lawmaker from Seattle, said that “years from now our kids will look back and wonder what all the fuss was about.” With Gregoire’s signature, he noted, Washington would become the first state in the nation to repeal its own Defense of Marriage Act and make marriage available to same-sex couples.

And before Gregoire took the podium, Murray, who is also openly gay, said, “My friends, welcome to the other side of the rainbow.”

But opponents have said they will challenge the law — more than 120,000 signatures are needed by June 6 to place it on hold for the November election, according to The Associated Press. Then, for an anti-gay marriage initiative to qualify for the ballot, 241,153 signatures must be turned in by July 6.

Washington is now the seventh state to legalize same-sex marriage along with New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Iowa, Connecticut and Vermont. The District of Columbia also recognizes same-sex marriage.

“Their experience proves to all of us that the sky will fall rhetoric is simply not true,” Gregoire said.

And on Monday, another state took a step forward on the issue — the New Jersey state Senate passed a bill, 24-16, recognizing gay marriage. The bill heads to the state Assembly on Thursday and is expected to pass, according to The Associated Press.

Gov. Chris Christie, however, has said he will veto the legislation if it hits his desk. The legislature would have until January 2014 to try to override his veto if that happens, the AP reported.

The Republican governor has said instead that he wants to put the issue to a public vote.