07.24.07
Washington State gay couples line up for new rights
Dozens of Washington State gay and lesbian couples lined up to register as domestic partners Monday as a new law went into effect.
The secretary of state’s office registered the first couple shortly after opening its doors at 8 a.m.
Couples that register as domestic partners get enhanced rights, including hospital visitation, the ability to authorize autopsies and organ donations, and the ability to inherit in the absence of a will. They won’t get all the rights that traditionally married couples have, though, and the state’s registry does not confer as many rights as civil unions offer to gay couples in other states.