Multnomah county joins the gay marriage fight

The gay community scored another victory today, when Multnomah County (essentially Portland, OR) determined that denying gays the right to marry violated the Oregon constitution.  The Oregonian reports that Mary Li and Becky Kennedy, and Eric Warshaw and Stephen Knox were the first lesbian and gay couples to be awarded licenses.  The decision was the culmination of a series of closed door meetings between Serena Cruz and Lisa Naito (two of the county commisioners) and Diane Linn (chair of the county board).

Centrism may have won the nomination yesterday, but it's the progressive wing's commitment to human rights, equality and the environment that are defining the party at the state and local level.  If the decisions of county comissioners, mayors and state reps are harbingers of the national party's platform in five or ten years, it seems clear that progressivism will ultimately win the dialogue we saw within the party during the nomination process.