same-sex marriage http://kplu.org en Controversial florist stirs back-and-forth on social media http://kplu.org/post/controversial-florist-stirs-back-and-forth-social-media <p></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Business is bustling at the Richland florist who faces a lawsuit over same-sex marriage. The florist says she was standing up for her Christian values when she refused to sell flowers for a gay couple’s wedding. Now, the case has become a focal point of intense debate on social media across the globe.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 18px;">On <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Arlenes-Flowers/179760432044760" target="_blank">Arlene’s Flowers' Facebook page</a>, right alongside advertisements for corsages and boutonnieres, there are hundreds of posts for and against same-sex marriage.&nbsp;</p><p> Fri, 03 May 2013 22:36:53 +0000 Anna King 8659 at http://kplu.org Controversial florist stirs back-and-forth on social media Same-sex marriage backers declare victory; video tells couple's story http://kplu.org/post/same-sex-marriage-backers-declare-victory-video-tells-couples-story <p><em>"I just phoned our son up in Bellingham and said, get ready for the wedding."</em></p><p>Washington United for Marriage has declared victory in the same-sex marriage referendum. Maine and Maryland became the first states to approve same-sex marriage by popular vote last night.</p><blockquote><p>“This is a clear win,” the group's campaign manager Zach Silk said in a press release.</p><p>“We have run the numbers every which way, and we can now confidently say that we have won. This is an historic day for Washington, an historic day for our country and, most of all, for families across the state who have dreamed of this day and the wedding celebrations to come.”</p></blockquote><p>So far, official “Yes” votes have a slight advantage of 52 to 48 percent.&nbsp;Counties were expected to post additional vote results Wednesday afternoon.</p><p>However the group said in the press release:</p><blockquote><p>With 60 percent of the vote counted, R74 already has the support of 65 percent of King County and is performing well in key Eastern Washington counties.&nbsp; Simply put, it’s now impossible for opponents to overcome the 52-48 percent spread for R74.</p></blockquote><p><strong>Video</strong>:&nbsp;KPLU&nbsp;videographer David Kellogg captured the hopes and tensions of election night as one same-sex couple waited for elections results:</p><p>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCB4J6Lq7bI</p><p> Wed, 07 Nov 2012 20:32:45 +0000 Gary Davis and KPLU News Staff 7044 at http://kplu.org Same-sex marriage backers declare victory; video tells couple's story