Governor Gregoire addresses the Itï¿½s About Life Expo

June 21, 2008

*As Written^

Good morning, and thank you, Christine (Skrak) for the introduction.

Iï¿½m honored to be here today to help kick off what is truly an impressive and unique eventï¿½

ï¿½The first expo on the West Coast devoted entirely to our G-L-B-T community.

One way you can know that you have arrived is when hundreds of businesses start competing for your attention!

So Congratulations! You have definitely arrived.

I had a chance to look through the incredibly long list of businesses here with exhibits. It covers the whole spectrum of Washington commerce.

ï¿½Everything from chiropractors to newspapersï¿½ and from banks to restaurants, hotels, homebuilders, and law firms.

I was especially gratified to see that so many of these businesses ï¿½ many owned by members of the G-L-B-T community ï¿½ are small businesses.

Small business is the lifeblood of our economy, and Iï¿½m pleased to tell you that Washington is the state to start and run a small business.

In fact, Fortune Magazine rates Washington among the top five friendliest states for small business.

I have worked ï¿½ and will continue to work ï¿½ to keep small businesses healthy in Washington.

We have lowered costs for small businesses through lower unemployment and L&I taxes.

And we continue to cut red tape and help small business get health insurance for their workers.

I know this expo is about more than just business. It is an opportunity for the G-L-B-T community to reach out and connect with the larger community.

As always, you are building bridges and showing the rest of us the way.

Iï¿½m pleased to see that one objective of the expo is to encourage folks to get involved in the political process.

I couldnï¿½t agree more. Indeed, itï¿½s through the hard work of many of you here today that weï¿½ve been able to advance the civil rights of the L-G-B-T communityï¿½

ï¿½And finally, after three decades of struggle, adding sexual orientation to the banning discrimination in employment, housing and other areas.

All the while, the members of this association modeled the bottom-line truth of this struggle ï¿½ diversity in the workplace is good for business! And good for Washington!...

ï¿½And in the wake of the 2006 State Supreme Court decision on gay marriage, you stepped up again, helping us do what we could to make it right byï¿½

ï¿½Setting up registered domestic partnerships so you can achieve financial security and equal treatment in matters from community property to property taxes to end-of-life decisions.

We still have work to do ï¿½ and weï¿½re not done yet!

Thank you for all you do for our state.

Thank you for creating a better, stronger Washington.