California's law books regarding social reform tends to shuttle out into the nation like ripples in a pond. Washington state is following suit by signing into law the rights of gay marriage.

To the surprise of other Republicans, Walsh took the floor and spoke frankly and passionately on her personal feelings of marriage and gay rights.

"individuals who truly were committed to one another in life to be able to ... to show that by way of a marriage." Walsh then took the point a step further by revealing her own daughter was lesbian and she was absolutely certain she want's to throw her a wedding.

Getting married is an intensely personal and private decision. Being married, on the other hand, turns out to be more of a public matter. Marriage has legal, social, and religious elements attached to it, and married couples enjoy certain benefits in the eyes of the law, religious institutions, and society as a whole. Changing the commonly accepted definition of marriage often challenges existing laws and religious traditions. On the legal front, married couples have more rights granted to them. For instance, spouses can file their taxes jointly, which usually saves them money. The right to benefits in the United States, particularly those given by the federal government, is another problematic legal issue. These include health benefits, wage and worker compensation benefits, and Social Security or pension benefits. Currently, there are more than 1,100 laws that make certain rights and benefits in the United States available to married couples only. Same-sex couples would have to be legally married in order to be eligible for these benefits. However, the federal government does not recognize same-sex marriages as being legal. Even if a gay couple is married in a state or country that allows same-sex marriage, they still aren’t considered married by the U.S. government. Religion is another area of controversy. Many world religions refuse to accept the idea of same-sex marriage. Religious and spiritual leaders typically object to gays marrying on what they believe are moral grounds. Basically, morality is the ability to tell the difference between right and wrong, and choosing to do the right thing. Various religions base what they believe to be right and wrong on their scriptures, which are sacred writings. For example, Christians use the Bible, Jews the Torah, and Muslims the Qu’ran. Each of these texts has passages that religious leaders say forbid homosexuality, which is love for and attraction to the same sex. Society as a whole also recognizes the benefits of marriage, particularly when there are children involved. While a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that 40 percent of births in the United States in 2010 were to single or unmarried women, overall, American society views a two-parent household with children as the ideal.