More Rights For the Gays

Woot! Slowly, but surely this Seattlest is starting to see some semblance of equal rights for ourselves and others like us, as a bill has passed the state legislature granting us over 100 more rights. Chris Gregoire is expected to sign it, no problemo.

Last year, we were awarded a handful of rather morose rights that mostly had to do with the death of a partner. Very important rights, mind you, but a little dark and dreary: authorizing autopsies and organ donations, visiting our partner in the hospital, and inheritance rights, to name a few. These and our new barrel of rights are avialable to same-sex unmarried partners who live together and are over the age of 18. Heterosexual unmarried couples over 62 are also eligible.

Now, we get 174 more rights, which brings us that much closer to the nearly 500 that straight married couples get. According to Seattle Times:

The measure adds domestic partners to sections of laws where previously only spouses were mentioned, including areas referring to probate and trusts, community property and homestead exemptions, and guardianship and powers of attorney.

The underlying domestic partnership law, passed last year, already provides hospital visitation rights, the ability to authorize autopsies and organ donations and inheritance rights when there is no will.

More than 3,500 couples have registered as domestic partners since the law took effect last year.

"Our work last year was only a start," said Sen. Joe McDermott, D-Seattle. "Domestic partners still lack the vast majority of protections granted other couples."

That darling photo was taken by Seattlest Flickr user faust0matic