I’m still trying to wrap my brain around HB 2007, which Governor Ted Kulongoski signed today (along with SB 2, which outlaws discrimination). HB 2007 sets up domestic partnership contracts for same-sex couples. In other words—barring a successful referendum challenge from a group like the Oregon Family Council—couples will be plunking down a bit of cash and signing up next January, in order to get all of the state rights and responsibilities currently afford to Oregon’s married couples.

The whole thing seems surreal to me. For starters, it’s hard to comprehend what’s a state right, and what’s a federal right—so I’m not particularly clear on what 500-or-so rights we’ll be able to access next year, and which rights fall under the 1,138 federal ones off limit to us gays under civil unions or domestic partnerships. Sure, we’ll be signing up next January, but it’s hard to imagine we’ll notice an immediate difference in the way we’re treated as a couple (it seems the rights tend to kick in for bigger life events, like death, illness, or starting a family).

Second, I feel like I have whiplash. Just a year and a half ago, as my partner and I were contemplating moving from Seattle to Portland, the issue of marriage equality was a big check in the “CON” column. At that point—October 2005—Oregon had Measure 36 enshrined in the constitution, and SB 1000 had fallen apart. Why the hell did we want to move there, again?

Washington, in contrast, was on the verge of a Supreme Court decision upholding two lower court decisions in favor of marriage equality—or so we thought (even buying rings to have on hand for the big decision day).

Fast forward to this spring. Oregon’s done all it can under Measure 36. Washington, meanwhile, endured a crappy court ruling, and followed that up with a legislative session that passed domestic partnerships lite—couples to our north will only get a handful of rights (legislators’ strategy is to add a few more rights each year, until it’s on part with a state civil marriage; I wasn’t on hand for the debate, but from afar, it seems like a weird, passive strategy). It seems Oregon’s got a solid check in the “PRO” column now. Hell—we’re one of just a handful of states that grant a decent set of legal benefits to same sex couples. And that’s great—I’m just having a hard time getting used to it.