Laurabelle's Blog

Rev. Sims,

I am writing to you concerning the recent acts of civil disobedience around the nation by elected officials. I am an undergraduate studying physics at the University of Washington. I'm originally from Olympia, and I am a heterosexual male. I'm also writing on behalf of my girlfriend who will be graduating this spring with her masters degree in Library and Information Science.

We think it is terrible that homosexuals are the victims of discrimination. We feel very strongly about civil rights for all people, including homosexuals. I even worked for the the HRC for a short period of time.

You should be handing out marriage licenses to same sex couples, or at least one. A single symbolic license would be enough to start a lawsuit to take down the anti-gay marriage law in the Washington State code. You are responsible for the marriage licenses in this county. You, and only you, have the power to start this process. Our state constitution has strong equal rights language, and a lawsuit would strike down that discriminatory law. The legislative session is almost over, and a lawsuit now would disallow the state legislature from trying to affect the trial in any way--if they could (I'm a rocket scientist, not a lawyer).

This is what is happening in California right now. They have a similar law against same sex marriage, and their lawsuit is banking on the equality language in their constitution to remove this law from the books. We can do this here. We should do this here. Mayor Nickels should back the suit with support from the city.

You have on many occasions voiced strong support for the homosexual community. Now is the time to show that support. These marriage licenses are the lunch counter sit-ins. They are sitting at the front of the bus. It's up to you to bring them to Washington. You are the one who has to do this, who has to have the courage and the strength of character to do the right thing.

Show the people that you are a man of your word, a courageous and principled man who is against discrimination in all forms. Show us you will do the right thing, even if it is not the easy thing. Give us someone to vote for.

Thank you,
Jeff Frasca and Laura Melton