Tacoma City Council Endorses Referendum 74 and the Freedom to Marry

Washington United for Marriage (WUM), the broad coalition working to defend the state’s bipartisan marriage law, today announced that the Tacoma City Council has approved a resolution offered by Mayor Marilyn Strickland and four council members urging Tacoma voters to approve Referendum 74.

Put forward by Mayor Strickland and councilors Anders Ibsen, Jake Fey, Ryan Mello and Lauren Walker, the resolution urges “Tacoma Voters to vote ‘Approved’ on state Referendum 74, which would allow same-sex couples to marry, preserve domestic partners for seniors, and preserve the rights of clergy or religious organizations to refuse to perform, recognize or accommodate any marriage ceremony.”

“Tacoma is a community that values and respects all people,” said Mayor Strickland. “As the mayor of this inclusive community, I was happy to support the resolution and reaffirm my commitment to ensuring that all loving and committed couples have the freedom to marry the person they love. I was moved by all the testimony I heard from community members about why this was so important to them. I believe passing Referendum 74 will make the community that we all love an even better place to live.”

“I was moved and encouraged by the overwhelmingly supportive testimony we heard by families like mine, who encouraged us to pass the resolution in support of Referendum 74,” said Council member Mello. “The freedom to marry the person you love is personal for me, but more importantly ensures that all families in Tacoma are embraced and accepted. Referendum 74 is about fairness and treating others as you wish to be treated. I urge you to vote to Approve Referendum 74 and vote for the freedom to marry.”

The full resolution can be linked here: http://bit.ly/RS8y8d.

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