I am happy to see that the state legislature is close to adopting a domestic partnership law. The law will recognize same-sex domestic partners in committed relationships, and give domestic partners a wide range of rights, privileges, and responsibilities previously associated only with marriage.

I'm in favor of this, because I feel everyone deserves to have a partner that will share in their successes, and care for and protect them in times of crisis. No one should have to go through this life alone, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Many of the provisions of the law are rights that most of us take for granted, such as having the person closest to us able to stay by our side in the hospital. Without this law, same-sex partners have found themselves limited to short visits, and treated like non-family members.

Additionally, the new law will allow the recognized domestic partner to give medical consent if their partner is unable. Today, hospitals with an unmarried and unconscious adult patient will try to locate next-of-kin, tracking down a patient's siblings or children, then sort through complicated familial relationships, to obtain approvals. If the patient's committed life partner is sitting out in the waiting room, this makes no sense. And it puts the life-partner in a cruel and fearful position; even though they may have the most intimate understanding of their partner's life and wishes, and the most to lose in a medical emergency, they are unrecognized as an advocate, and treated as less important than far-away blood relatives.

The new law will also remedy problems and confusion in inheritance procedures when there is no will. Today, domestic partners that have set up a home together can lose all or part of it to their partner's relatives if their partner dies. This can create fear and uncertainty during times of crisis, which is very difficult for loved ones and is contrary to the state's desire to keep the peace. With the new domestic partnership law, same-sex partners will make an official public commitment, at a time when they are of sound mind, regarding who they chose to care for them and their estate. At the time of committing to the partnership, and not in a hospital crisis, they can resolve financial questions with siblings and children.

I've personally known wonderful people that have been caught up in all of these predicaments, and none of them deserved the way life unfolded for them. I am very glad that Washington state is joining with a rapidly growing legion of other states and nations around the world to resolve these issues.

The world has many problems that can only be solved by everyone pulling together. And we need all our citizens to be at their most productive in order to meet these challenges. This new law is going to help.

Randy Corman

( Click here to read the March 2nd Seattle Times Article on this topic, which provides additional details and provisions of the proposed law. )