Feb. 14 will be the first Valentine’s Day since Referendum 71 expanded the rights and responsibilities of domestic partners in Washington State as being equal (except in name) to marriage.

Despite the upcoming lover’s holiday and statewide support for R-71, the question of social equality for same-sex couples in Clark County remains uncertain. Clark County residents bucked the state trend by rejecting R-71 by a margin of 54 to 46 percent, a difference of 7,500 votes.

Clark County’s overall response to the passage of R-71 is difficult to measure. People on both sides of the issue were hesitant to go on the record with their opinions.

Those in same-sex relationships frequently expressed a desire to keep their personal life private for fear of retaliation or reprisal, and some of the more adamant opponents of R-71 expressed a desire to avoid being labeled as “anti-gay.” (Due to possibility of hate crimes and the controversial nature of same-sex marriage, the last names of local persons interviewed have been omitted from this article.)

The majority of Clark County voters who rejected R-71 were conservatives like Robert, who stated in an interview that his rejection of same-sex marriage “is nothing against anyone who is gay. I just feel that marriage should be reserved for a man and a woman who want to raise a family.”

A little further down the line are other rejecters who hold an openly discriminatory stance such as William, a 57-year-old resident of Vancouver who is quite forward with his dislike of the gay community.

“I don’t know why queers can’t stay in Portland and leave Vancouver for God-fearing folk,” William stated, with many of his anti-gay comments unsuitable for print.

In contrast to Robert and William, there are numerous Clark County residents who support same-sex marriage, including Lisa and Daniel.

Lisa, owner of Raging Sage Coffee Shop in downtown Vancouver, believes that R-71 was “a very positive step” for the state and that “anything that makes people more aware of relationships, regardless of [sexual orientation] is a good thing.”

Daniel, a 61-year-old openly gay Camas resident, has been in a committed relationship with his domestic partner for 35 years. He is pleased with the fact that his relationship can finally get legal recognition.

“It’s been a long wait for me to marry my husband and make an honest man of him,” Daniel stated with a chuckle.
A testament to the low profile nature of Clark County’s gay and lesbian community is that few public events marked the milestone of R-71’s passage.

Northbank, Vancouver’s only gay bar, neither planned an event to mark R-71 passing nor a special event for Valentine’s Day. Brent, owner of Northbank, is frequently viewed as a central hub for Vancouver’s gay community, a role he filled more by accident than by plan.

“When I first opened [Northbank], I didn’t plan on getting involved in the community… it just sort of came with being the only gay bar in town,” Brent stated. He believes that the significance of R-71 will hit home with the gay and lesbian community as more same-sex couples receive benefits from the new law.

“Right now, people are happy [R-71] passed, but in a year from now, when the extra rights [start getting] used, it will matter more to people,” Brent said.

One of the few public events marking R-71 is the upcoming Freedom to Marry Day event hosted by Clark College’s Queer Penguin and Allies (QP&A) club on Feb. 11, from noon to 2 p.m. at Clark College’s main campus. Amanda, president of QP&A, describes the event as a way to bring attention to the importance of recognizing equality in marriage rights for all persons, regardless of sexual orientation.

Amanda, who is in a committed relationship with Rachel — a fellow Clark College student and QP&A club officer—believes Vancouver to be generally accepting of the gay community.

“People have been pretty welcoming, and I haven’t had any problems,” Rachel said. She stated she has only had the “normal” problems such as “...the dirty looks, the [rude] comments, sneers...” and the occasional finger pointing and laughter.
For Rachel to describe such offensive behavior as “normal,” speaks volumes about the everyday hardships members of the gay and lesbian community face in Clark County.

With the changes in state law and overall softening atmosphere towards the gay and lesbian community, it is clear that same-sex couples face less resistance locally than in previous years, but as long as the very topic is considered controversial, true equality may remain elusive for same-sex couples.

Gayer Than We Thought

Vancouver has more same-sex households and couples than the national average. Gary Gates, UCLA professor and author of The Gay and Lesbian Atlas, used data from the 2000 Census to calculate population statistics for the gay and lesbian community. His findings rank Washington State third in the nation for highest concentration of same-sex households and sixth and seventh for gay male and lesbian female couples, respectively.

Gates also used the 2000 census to assess Vancouver’s Gay Index, a comparative score based on the percentage of persons reporting as same sex couples. Vancouver received a Gay Index rating of 107, meaning Vancouver has a gay population 7 percent higher than the national average.

More recently, Gates used the 2008 American Community Survey to assess community patterns for the gay and lesbian community. In an email to the author, Gates acknowledges statistical precision concerns for areas smaller than a state, but “the patterns may still be interesting. For example, Vancouver seems to be one of the few communities in the state where male couples outnumber female couples.”

According to Gates, Seattle is the only city in Washington with more same-sex households and couples than Vancouver.
Vancouver’s status as the second largest gay and lesbian community in the state does not appear to impact the area’s reputation as a conservative bedroom community.

“I am pretty shocked that Vancouver has such a large gay population,” stated Emiliy, a 27-year-old female nurse and lifelong Vancouver resident, “I still have to go to Portland to meet women; heck, I have to go to Portland to meet Vancouver women.” Emiliy’s statements are echoed by Phill, a 32-year-old gay welder.

“Even if [Vancouver’s] gay population is the highest in the state, I don’t think there is any danger of [Vancouver] becoming gay-tucky,” Phill stated, playing off Vancouver’s tongue-in-cheek nickname, “Vantucky.”

Future Legal Challenges

The thoroughly scrutinized approval process to expand domestic partner rights in Washington State demonstrates the collective will for Washington to support equality for same-sex couples. R-71 started off in January 2009, as Senate Bill 5688, where it passed through the committee, the House and the Senate and was signed into law by Governor Gregoire in May. The state constitutional referendum process was initiated, sending the bill (as R-71) to a general election, where the public also approved it last November. However, at a national level, same-sex relationship equality may have its toughest challenge in California.

California voters approved Proposition 8 in 2008. Prop 8 amended the California State Constitution to read: “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.”

The resulting controversy, legal confusion and high profile lawsuits may result in the federal Supreme Court hearing any number of cases on the matter. The high court hearing could create a landmark ruling allowing states to ban same-sex marriages or a ruling to strike down prohibitions on marriage based on sexual orientation.

None of the local attorneys interviewed would go on the record for a prediction of a Supreme Court decision regarding same-sex marriages.

However, in the 1967 landmark case Loving v. Virginia, the high court ruled that “the freedom to marry has long been recognized as one of the vital personal rights essential to the orderly pursuit of happiness by free men,” and it struck down every law that prohibited marriage on grounds of race. At the time, sixteen states had anti-miscegenation laws prohibiting interracial marriages.

Marcus Griffin is a local freelance writer and bike enthusiast.