DP’s expanded in Washington state

Washington state domestic partnerships are now completely equal, in rights, to marriage:

The Democratic-controlled House approved the Senate-passed measure on a mostly party-line 62-35 vote after nearly two hours of debate. It next goes to Gov. Chris Gregoire, who said she will sign it into law. 

“Our state is one that thrives on diversity,” Gregoire, a Democrat, said in a statement. “We have to respect and protect all of the families that make up our communities.”

The bill expands on previous domestic partnership laws by adding reference to partnerships alongside all remaining areas of state law where currently only married couples are mentioned. The statutes range from labor and employment rights to pensions and other public employee benefits.

The right is saying that this hurts marriage, of course.

What about creating a solution whereby there are both DP’s and marriage? There’s no reason not to, and it would protect a more diverse body of families than the current situation does.

The article goes on to discuss same-sex marriage and a bunch of facts that surround it, but why don’t we move on and start thinking of DP’s as something both valuable and separate from marriage?