Political Story

For many local voters, Referendum 71 encompasses more than politics- the piece of legislation puts religion front and center.

In the months leading up to the Nov. election, the Washington Association of Churches gathered a signature list of more than 85 clergy leaders that support Referendum 71. These clergy members come from a scope of different religions including Judaism, Methodism and Evangelicalism.

Among the clergy supporters of Referendum 71 on the list was Associate Pastor Chip Laird of the United Church of Christ in Pullman.

“Along with faith, this is also an issue of people’s rights in America and it should be treated like that so I’m very much in support with Referendum 71,” Laird said.

Referendum 71 is commonly referred to as the “everything but marriage” law because it would grant same-sex partners the same rights as married couples.

While many clergy leaders across the state support Referendum 71, a large population at WSU opposes the measure. Freshman McKinley Storey is one of those students.

“I oppose Referendum 71 because I’ve always learned that marriage should stay between a man and a woman,” Storey said.

Jordan Seider, a senior accounting major and member of the Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender and Allies committee, said he has experienced direct opposition from conservatives that oppose same sex marriage because of their faith.

“I’ve noticed that people who are against this referendum are usually more conservative,” Seider said. “They try to bring in religion. In general people try to use the bible as a defense.”

Seider said that the bible has also been used in the past to stop progressive movements and to justify stances against interracial marriage and women’s rights.

“Every time one of these issues comes up there’s always a bible verse that is used to justify their position,” he said.

Though Seider is a non-donimational Christian himself, he said that he has not experienced any conflicts between his religion and his stance in support of Referendum 71.

Storey, a conservative Christian, said he uses his faith as a moral compass in determining his values.

“A lot of the decisions I make are based on what I learn from the church,” he said. “I think that’s a good thing because it has the power to be a strong guide.”

The majority of churches in support of Referendum 71 were from Western Washington. The United Church of Christ was the sole church from Pullman listed by the Washington Association of Churches.

Laird said he was unsure about whether other religious communities were in support of Referendum 71 in Pullman. However he believes that based on local historical beliefs less people in Pullman were in support.

“It continues to surprise me that people in America don’t support basic civil rights,” Laird said.

Despite his pessimism about people’s beliefs he said he was encouraged by the growing trend of religious leaders who signed in support of the domestic partnership law.


Outline:

Part 1: Lede: important to tie Referendum 71 to religion
-List of clergy leaders who support Ref. 71.
-support lede, centerpiece of story
Part 2: Localize issue. Pastor Laird signed list
-his input. Why did he sign it? What’s the consensus in this area?
-Brief recap of what Ref. 71 is.
Part 3: Student opposition and support. Student input. Why do you oppose this? Why do you support this? How is this connected to faith?
Part 4: Tie it back to Pastor Laird. Do people in Pullman share his same beliefs? Elsewhere? Broad view.