Sen. Ed Murray (D-43) told a packed luncheon crowd at a GSBA meeting today that eventual passage of a marriage equality law in Washington is up to each of them and everyone in our community.

"It rests with you," he said. "Go talk to businesses -- and not the ones that you know are friendly to our issues." He urged the gathered business people to talk especially to other businesses that don't understand the need for gay equality. "Go to Yakima, go to the Tri-Cities, go to Wenatchee." He assured his listeners that they have the power to force the legislature to act on marriage equality if  constituents throughout the state are told about the effects current discriminatory rules have on Washington families.

He urged his listeners to also talk to the state's churches. "Go to the churches that are not with us on our issues and talk to them. Talk."

The wide-ranging afternoon talk by three 43rd District legislators -- among the most powerful at the statehouse -- came during a luncheon gathering of Greater Seattle Business Association, GSBA held at the Red Lion Hotel downtown. The tables in the meeting room were packed with members and guests who offered questions about transit, taxes, and more to the legislators.

Murray also urged GSBA to join the a conservative-activist business council that has actively lobbied against LGBT rights legislation. GSBA and its members could help change the lobbying priorities of that group, he said. "That would get us to marriage equality."

Freshman Rep. Jamie Pederson (D-43) was given kudos by both Murray and House Speaker Frank Chopp (D-43), who also attended the afternoon "fireside chat." Murray called Pedersen -- who took the House seat that Murray vacated to run for Senate -- an "incredible partner" and said it's been invaluable to have a colleague in the House who is "so experienced on LGBT issues."

In his talk, Pedersen echoed Murray's call for citizen activism on the issue of  marriage equality. Pointing out the current domestic partnership law, grants only a small portion of the many rights and responsibilities enabled by marriage, Pedersen said it's important to collect stories about how current inequalities in state law.

Couples and families who experience hardships because of unequal marriage laws should tell legislators about the situation. "Tell your friends. Tell the media." 

But Pedersen also warned that the community must be ready to fight for marriage equality once the legislature passes the law. "There will be a referendum to strike it down," he predicted. He said we need to have the organizations and money ready to fight for equality even before the legislature passes the law.

Apologizing for using a word that's become the massively overused in the current campaign season, Murray said, "Things are changing in our favor," Murray assured the audience.

He defended what some have called the too-slow pace of change by referring to a quotation he attributed to civil-rights champion and Justice Thurgood Marshall: "Don't go too far too fast or you will lose everything you've gained."

Both Murray and Pedersen emphasized the need for organizing to move the the marriage equality debate to the next stage.

"We achieved our first goal," Murray said, "We wanted to engage our colleagues and the people -- to tell them about ourselves and our families."

But finally getting the marriage equality bill passed will take the sort of personal organizing they urged the GSBA crowd to develop. It will require outreach to the constituents of legislators who would be willing to vote for equality if only they could be convinced that the voters of their districts understand the issue.

But Chopp -- the Democrat's chief candidate recruiter -- emphasized that it's just as important to make sure friendly legislators keep their seats, which means getting involved in the campaigns through donations of time, money, or both.