I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to our Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen for her courage, strength and Christian conviction in deciding to support marriage equality for all Washington citizens regardless of sexual orientation.

From my conversation with her, I know how much thought, reflection and prayer went in to her deciding to support equal civil rights. I salute her for doing the right thing as an American citizen by standing up for liberty and justice for all.

As a homosexual man that has been in a loving and committed relationship with the same man for the last 27 years, I feel like a weight has been taken off  my shoulders. The years of bullying as a child, the hatred and discrimination in high school and beyond, the loss of employment over my committed relationship and all the other hardships that my partner and I have experienced all seem worth it in the company of our family and friends.

We are under no illusion that passage of this bill on marriage equality will end the bigotry, hatred and misperception of who our good Lord made us to be. It is likely that those same misguided folks who have loudly denounced us in the past will succeed in placing an initiative on this next election ballot asking you, the voters, to take away my equal civil right to love and commit to the person of my choice. They will ask you to choose to put me back in the closet once again.

In the meantime, my partner and I, and countless other Washingtonians, want to extend a warm embrace of thanks to Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen.

Paul Booker
Camano Island