Santorum campaigns in Washington state as marriage bill signed into law

Rick Santorum will be campaigning Monday in Washington as gay-rights activists in the state celebrate Gov. Chris Gregoire signing into law a bill that legalizes same-sex marriage.

Santorum, an outspoken opponent of same-sex marriage, plans to meet with a group of voters who oppose the new law in Olympia in advance of an evening rally at the Washington State History Museum in Tacoma. Santorum also plans to meet with the Republican caucuses of the state legislature, according to The Seattle Times.

The meeting with those opposed to the new law prompted Occupy protesters in Washington state to plan a protest of Santorum's event at the history museum.

"GOP candidate, and notoriously bigoted former senator Rick Santorum will be having a public rally at the History Museum, only a block away from Occupation Park. Let's go and tell him that his hatred is not welcome here," said a posting to the group's Facebook page.

Santorum has seen protests at prior events, but maintained that he does not believe that homosexuals should have the opportunity to marry.

“We don’t want to offend people. We want to sound like we’re tolerant. But the institution of marriage is not something we can mess with and have civilization survive," Santorum said while campaigning in Missouri last week, according to The Columbia Daily Tribune.

The legislation is slated to go into effect June 7. Gregoire lauded the bill as an civil-rights achievement for the state.

"I’m proud that our same-sex couples will no longer be treated as separate, but equal," Gregoire said at the bill signing Monday. "They will be equal in the great state of Washington. I’m proud that the children in our schools and neighborhoods will no longer have to wonder why their loving parents are considered somewhat different than other loving parents."

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