Prominent Washington Republican Endorses Marriage Equality

Reagan Dunn is an up-and-coming Republican politician. Named after Ronald Reagan, by his mother, former Congresswoman Jennifer Dunn, he sits on the King County Council, which covers the greater Seattle area. He is also running for Attorney General for the state of Washington.

And, he recently announced his support for marriage equality for same-sex couples. On January 9th, the county council approved a resolution calling on the state to pass marriage equality. It was proposed buy council member Joe McDermott who said he is engaged to his partner Michael Culpepper and would like to marry him in the state where they lie. Dunn congratulated McDermott and voted for the resolution. Joining him in the supportive vote were two other Republican members of the council.

Dunn says the public will eventually look on this controversy with disbelief, wondering why there was such a kerfuffle over it. He said people will reach the point where they will "view this the same way we do that people of some races were once forced to sit the back of the bus, or to use separate drinking fountains."

Dunn said that he views same sex marriage as he does abortion. "Like with abortion, I kind of take a libertarian perspective—that it ought to be a choice of the individual and less about the government."