Seattle, Wash., Sep 12, 2009 / 18:16 pm
On Thursday a U.S. District Court judge issued a temporary order preventing the release of the names of Washington state citizens who signed a petition in support of a marriage defense referendum. Supporters of the referendum feared the information would be used to intimidate and retaliate against signers.
The Washington Secretary of State Sam Reed argued that the Washington Public Records Act required the release of the names. Advocates of releasing the names included several groups who wished to place the information on the internet.
Referendum backer Protect Marriage Washington and other plaintiffs argued against the release of the names, citing instances where supporters of marriage have had their property destroyed and have received harassing phone calls and even death threats.
“This situation in Washington is part of a larger, concerted campaign of harassment and intimidation of supporters of traditional marriage by the gay rights lobby,” reported a press release from the law firm Bopp, Coleson & Bostrom, which represented the plaintiffs. “The campaign has involved gaining access to the names of pro-marriage supporters, posting their names and addresses on the Internet, and inviting people to contact them.