Separate can’t be equal

Separate but equal isn’t equal, and it isn’t adequate. Mary Riehle (Oct. 12) and Susan Bacon (Oct. 13) are naive to assert that domestic partners have the same recognition as married couples in our state.

Other states have found that separate-but-equal standards are harmful to families, and nothing demonstrates this more clearly than a family I know. A loving lesbian couple raising four children, they constantly carry binders of legal paperwork to document their status as a family because they fear what could happen in the face of a crisis. This family’s fears are sadly justified by the numerous stories of loved ones being kept from their partner’s bedside in an emergency. Faith communities who disagree with Referendum 74 won’t have to perform or recognize same-sex marriages, but a growing number of religious leaders and churches, like the Lutheran church I attend, want the freedom to marry same-sex couples.

On behalf of all friends, families, and faith communities who support marriage equality, I urge you to vote to approve R-74. One of the happiest moments in my life was exchanging vows with my husband in front of our loved ones, and I wish that joy for all loving, committed couples.

Amanda Baker

Liberty Lake