Sen. Ed Murray: “We’ll be finished tonight, even if we’re here when the sun comes up.”

• E.S.
• Sen. Ed Murray and his partner, Michael Shiosaki, speaking to reporters ahead of the senate marriage vote.

State Senator Ed Murray (D-43), briefing reporters a few minutes ago in the capitol’s many-chandeliered reception room, said that for much of his career he didn’t believe he’d be around for this moment.

“A lot of people are just stunned, particularly people in my age group,” Murray said. “I don’t think we thought this would come about in our lifetimes.”

He applauded the guts of pro-marriage senators—both Democrats and Republicans—who come from districts that aren’t as supportive of gay rights as Seattle’s 43rd.

“I just am so moved by their courage,” he said. “There really aren’t words to describe it.”

He noted that half a dozen amendments to the marriage bill have already been filed, and said he expected more—not all friendly. But he maintained that the senate will pass the measure tonight.

“We’ll be finished tonight, even if we’re here when the sun comes up.”

Asked why marriage is so important when same sex couples in Washington State already have many of the rights of marriage via domestic partnership, Murray responded quickly and succinctly: “This is how society says you’re a family.”

Assuming the gay marriage bill passes the legislature, is signed by the governor, and survives a repeal effort at the polls in November, Murray and his partner, Michael Shiosaki, plan to take advantage of the new law.

“We will get married,” Murray promised.

But for now, strong memories from the past were mixing with his plans for the future.

Murray recalled “a lot of angst” and “a lot of anger” in recent conversations with his senate colleagues leading up to today. He recalled earlier years when gay rights efforts produced “unfortunate, unfortunate debates that should never happen again to any group of people in these chambers.” And he recalled his close friend and mentor, the late Cal Anderson, Washington’s first openly gay state legislator, who died of AIDS in 1995. “He would be very proud,” Murray said. “He would be very excited.”