A story in the Jan. 11 Herald, Page B1) stated that several
groups were going to introduce legislation that would ban same-sex marriages.

Marriage is a religious ceremony. The government has no
constitutional right to validate one marriage over another.

The government has compelling reasons to legally recognize a sexual relationship between consenting adults.

Legal: The government does not recognize unmarried couples as having any legal standing. To attain any legal standing the couple must enter into legal contracts that the courts may not recognize.

Hygiene: When a couple enters into a monogamous sexual
relationship, the proability of contracting a sexually transmitted disease is greatly reduced. The government has a financial interest in reducing the proliferation of such diseases.

Humanitarian: When a domestic partner is disabled, the courts' responsibility is to act in the best interests of the disabled. If the courts deny a person's partner the right to be his or her primary caregiver, then the courts and our society have failed in their responsibility.

The government has no constitutional right to deny legal
recognition to two consenting adults who have been married in a religious ceremony.

No religious or political group has a compelling interest in putting such a union asunder.

Sheila L Richardson
Bellingham WA