Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court announced it would hear a case challenging the state of Washington’s decision to make public the names and contact information of citizens who signed a petition in support of a referendum on the state’s civil-unions law. This is an interesting legal spinoff of the same-sex marriage debate. Over the past few years, that debate has spawned new legal controversies over harassment of opponents and the accommodating religious objectors vis-à-vis gay-rights mandates. This case may provide an important test of whether the gay-marriage controversy will enhance or undermine the ability of Americans to participate fully and securely in the political process.