The organization was founded in 2011,[1] and formed to secure passage of a bill in the Washington legislature calling for same-sex marriage, and to then defend such a measure should a statewide referendum be launched to challenge it.

[2] Within 24 hours of having been publicly launched, the coalition had secured an endorsement for same-sex marriage in Washington from the editorial board of the Seattle Times.

[5] Following on the approval of Referendum 71, LGBT organizations in Washington began to build the support and infrastructure to launch a full campaign in favor of same-sex marriage.

[6] Washington United for Marriage, led by many of the same individuals involved in the Approve Referendum 71 campaign run by WAFST, was founded on a similar model of secular and religious coalition building.

In addition, national heavy-hitters in the area of LGBT advocacy including the Human Rights Campaign and American Civil Liberties Union were to become even more central players in the campaign to secure votes in the Washington State Senate to pass a measure granting same-sex couples marriage rights.