Anti-Gay Supporters For Overturning Washington's Domestic Partnership Law Lost A US Supreme Court Battle Today To Keep Their Names Hidden.

In an 8-1 decision, with only Justice Clarence Thomas dissenting, the US Supreme Court upheld the 9th Circuits of Appeals' ruling to allow the names of petition signers to be seen by the public. However, conservative Chief Justice Roberts noted that Protect Marriage Washington can go back and try to get an exemption. "Upholding the law against a broad based challenge does not foreclose a litigant's success in a narrower one."

It all began last year when groups like Protect Marriage Washington and Faith and Freedom Network gathered the signatures of about 138,000 people to put an anti-gay referendum in last year's November ballot. The referendum's aim was to remove the domestic partnership law, which was signed by Gov. Gregoire on May 18, 2009. Under the Public Records Act of Washington, petition signers' names should be open to the public to see. This gives us the right to double-check the work of signature gatherers and the government. It also gives us the ability to learn which voters are forcing our state to hold an election on a new law. These anti-gay groups wants to do their petition activities in private. Their lead lawyer, James Bopp Jr. intends to go back to the US District Court in our state to try again and hide the petitioner's names.