It’s official. On Friday, people kicked off a new push to legalize same-sex marriage in Oregon.
It’ll be a long road ahead for petitioners like Echo Fields.
“[It’s] the official petition to legalize same sex marriage in Oregon,” explained Fields to a group of people walking in downtown Ashland.
“Today we are gathering the signatures that we need so that in November of 2014 marriage equality can go on the ballot,” said Southern Oregon Pride President, Gina DuQuenne.
“We’ve been waiting and waiting to get the petitions and so they’re finally here,” said Reverend of the Rogue Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Ashland, Leslie Becknell Marx.
Now, a whole lot of work lies ahead as supporters try to snag signatures.
“Ultimately we need over 116,000 and we’re hoping that across the state we can get 10,000 this weekend,” said Becknell Marx.
“I will contact my family, my friends, my coworkers […] We are all equal,” said DuQuenne.
It’s that message of equality that petitioners will be spreading as they pound the pavement collecting signatures.
They now have about a year to collect the signatures they need.
Petitioners will be walking the streets this weekend and Reverend Leslie Becknell Marx said people will be able to sign the petition at the Rogue Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Ashland all weekend.
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