What has struck Murray--a veteran of Olympia's pitched battles over gay rights--is how little opposition there is to completing Washington state's domestic partnership law.

"The most remarkable thing is how unremarkable this is," said Murray. "We're not having a culture war down here about domestic partnerships for gay and lesbian families. Even two years ago, three sessions ago, domestic partnership was a very controversial issues. Four sessions ago the gay civil rights bill passed by a single vote in the state senate. Our support has increased a great deal in a short period of time."

Murray credits the growing support for gay equality--and for gay marriage rights in particular--to the increased visibility of gay and lesbian families.

"When people understand what gay and lesbian families actually are," said Murray, "when they know us, when they see what are struggles, they support us. Every time." The legislature has six openly gay members--all men--but this year it got its first member with gay parents. "We have a new state senator here, Kevin Ranker. He's the state senator from San Juan County. He represents part of Whatcom County. He stood up at our caucus dinner and said that he was the proud son of two gay fathers. Moments like that are really significant."