Legal Marriage Alliance of Washington—History

The Legal Marriage Alliance of Washington (LMA) was formed in October 1995 and incorporated in January 1996 to work toward securing the right of same-sex couples to legal marriage in the State of Washington.

LMA's first major media outreach came in gathering a supportive live audience for the February 18, 1996 broadcast of a KOMO Town Meeting on marriage equality.

From the beginning, the primary focus on LMA has been public education. LMA has sent speakers to dozens of churches, schools, events, and other opportunities to speak about and put a human face on the marriage issue; it has launched a website that has become a clearinghouse for information about marriage rights for same-sex couples; it has coordinated substantial legal research on the rights and obligations under Washington law that are associated with marriage; and it has produced informational pamphlets on marriage rights and the potential effects of the marriage cases in other states.

LMA has provided many speakers for organizations seeking information about the marriage issue. It staffs information booths at Gay and Lesbian Pride and other community events, hosts a community listserv focused on marriage equality. It works with local and national media to provide information on marriage for same-sex couples and analysis and comment on related issues. LMA volunteers track a continuing flow of news items for other organizations and opinion leaders, and serve as a main source for news items featured on the Freedom to Marry website.

In 1996, 1997, and 1998, the Washington legislature actively considered bills that would ban recognition of marriages in Washington between same-sex couples lawfully entered into in other states. LMA participated in lobbying legislators to vote against these bills and was successful in 1996 and 1997. In 1998, when it became apparent that the bill was likely to pass, LMA raised funds from supporters and hired a lobbyist to help with its work in the legislature.

The LMA Legal Committee formed in 1997, and has served as a forum for discussion and research on legal issues regarding marriage for same-sex couples, as well as serving a quality control function for the legal aspects of the LMA message. At the request of LMA, attorney Jamie Pedersen produced The RCW Project report on Washington's 423 marriage-related laws. The Legal Committee seeded many of the relationships that culminated in the state supreme court marriage case. LMA submitted a friend of the court brief in the case in 2005.

The Religion Committee was formed in Fall 2000 and worked to develop a network of religious leaders who are supportive of marriage for same sex couples and to educate and assist congregations.

Because the fight in the legislature and the media made it clear that the general public needs to understand this issue and how it affects gay and lesbian couples, LMA continues to focus its resources and energy on public education.

Building and participating in coalitions is central to LMA's organizational purpose. LMA co-sponsors a multitude of events and outreach programs, as the number of organizations with marriage equality as a goal continues to grow. LMA is proud to be one of the partners of Equal Rights Washington and the Seattle Lesbian/Gay Community Center.