Testimony on House Bill 1727, designed to expand the rights and responsibilities of state registered domestic partners, concluded a little while ago. As usual, there were fired-up supporters and opponents testifying before the House Judiciary Committee in Olympia—which is chaired by Rep. Jamie Pedersen (D-Seattle).

Pedersen mostly listened during the testimony, allowing the spokespersons, priests and, at one point, a small business owner, to speak their mind on why the bill should or should not be passed. Naturally, the opponents went to great length to lay out why HB 1727, if passed, will ruin everything that they love about our state and society.

Kim Sheeley, representing the Washington State Catholic Conference, argued that while "discrimination...is contrary to church teaching concerning the dignity of persons," the WSCC opposes the bill. Pastor Peter Colake said that, as a refugee from the Soviet Union, he knows what it means to be oppressed, citing the prison terms his grandfather and father served for their faith. But he believes this bill "threatens the freedom of our conscience" and that America "will not be a country of refuge" if it is passes. Maureen Richardson from Concerned Women for America argued that, given the budget deficit, "it makes no sense to promote anything but what is proven to work."

This woman from Lydia Fellowship won the award for being the most energetic and ill-informed bigot of the day. Her argument began with the always persuasive dictionary citation. Webster's, she testified, provides "the definition for a lot of our bills." Therefore, she continued, the passage of HB 1727 will create an "oxymoron." At one point a committee member had to remind her to respect those present after she described homosexuality as a terrible condition that can be cured.

The climax of her testimony occurred when Rep. Pedersen challenged her claim that "the people" had voted 60 percent against domestic partnerships. His request that she provide the instance when such a vote had occured received, at first, just a blank stare. Then, inexplicably, the representative from Lydia Fellowship said something about the Supreme Court. Rep. Pedersen, not giving up, asked her if she was referring to a vote that took place in Washington since, as he reminded her, no such vote has ever actually happened. A few helpful people in the audience shouted inaudibly and she turned around for help. Finally, Rep. Pedersen generously suggested that she may be referring to a vote in the state legislature and allowed her to step down.

HB 1727 is going to pass. But today was, essentially, an opportunity for vocal bigots (most of them associated with either a religious institution or religion-based policy group) to display their opposition to equal rights for same-sex unions. Which made the live-feed on the Washington State Public Affairs TV Network difficult to watch. Its value, mainly, is as a reminder of how entrenched prejudice is in our society and how long the struggle for full equality is going to take.