Gay Donors Back GOP Legislator Who Voted for Marriage Equality

When the time came to vote on a historic bill legalizing marriage equality in Washington, state Rep. Maureen Walsh stood up and delivered an emotional speech explaining her decision to buck her party and vote in favor of equality.

The 51-year-old Republican from Walla Walla told her fellow representatives about the death of her husband and how badly she missed the loving bond they shared: “How could I deny the right to have that incredible bond with another individual in life? To me it seems almost cruel.”