Movement against marriage in Washington state:

Gov. Chris Gregoire on Wednesday said she'll put forward legislation to legalize marriage for gay and lesbian couples.

The proposal will be introduced during the legislative session that starts Monday. If it's approved, Washington would become the seventh state to legalize gay marriage.

"It's time, it's the right thing to do, and I will introduce a bill to do it," Gregoire said in a statement.

... The announcement represents a change for Gregoire. While running for governor in 2004, she supported legal rights for same-sex couples but said, "I do not believe that Washington state is ready to support gay marriage."

In a 2008 interview, when she ran for a second term, Gregoire explained her beliefs in more detail.

"There are two issues here," she said. "One is the state's responsibility. To me, the state's responsibility is to absolutely ensure equality. The other is a religious issue, and I leave it to the churches to make that call about marriage." -- The Seattle Times