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Wash. court asked to rehear ‘gay marriage’ case


OLYMPIA, Wash. (BP)–The debate over “gay marriage” in Washington state isn’t over just yet.

Lawyers for 18 same-sex couples filed legal briefs Aug. 29 with the Washington state Supreme Court, asking the justices to reconsider their 5-4 ruling from July upholding the state’s Defense of Marriage Act. That law protects the natural definition of marriage and bans “gay marriage.”

Such rehearing requests are rarely granted. But, until the court declines the request, the current chapter in Washington’s “gay marriage” legal battle remains open. The fact that the ruling was decided by only one vote makes the rehearing request even more significant.

“We felt that we had to use every option available to us to show the justices the logic behind our arguments and how their decision, as it is currently reasoned, falls short,” Nancy Sapiro of the Northwest Women’s Law Center told The Seattle Times.

The request for rehearing was filed by the Northwest Women’s Law Center, Lambda Legal and the American Civil Liberties Union. According to Lambda Legal, the high court “could change their decision without holding another oral argument” or “could decide to hold another oral argument for further clarification.”

The July ruling by the high court was a major defeat for homosexual activists, who had expected the Washington court to legalize “gay marriage.” Instead, the court issued a conservative-worded ruling affirming a link between procreation and marriage laws.

“[The state legislature] was entitled to believe that limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples furthers procreation, essential to survival of the human race, and furthers the well-being of children by encouraging families where children are reared in homes headed by the children’s biological parents,” Justice Barbara A. Madsen wrote.
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For more information about the national debate over “gay marriage,” visit http://www.bpnews.net/samesexmarriage

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