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Same-sex marriage now legal in Washington, D.C.
By Rex Wockner
Wockner News Service
 WASHINGTON, DC __ Despite desperate attempts by anti-gay activists to prevent it, gay and lesbian couples began picking up marriage licenses in Washington, D.C.,
on March 3.
Right-wing forces went so far as to file a last-minute emergency petition to the U.S. Supreme Court to try to block the law legalizing same-sex marriage from coming
into force. [Rocky Galloway, left, and Reggie Stanley picked up their marriage license March 3 in Washington, D.C., as the new law legalizing same-sex marriage came into force. Photo: Renna Communications
] The court rejected the request for a stay.
Because of a mandatory waiting period of three business days between getting a license and getting married, the first gay marriages in D.C. will not take place until
March 9.
"As did residents of Massachusetts, and more recently Iowa, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Vermont, those who live in Washington, D.C., now will have the chance to
wonder what all the fuss was about as they see first-hand that allowing same-sex couples to marry doesn't endanger or harm anyone else," said Lambda Legal's marriage
project director, Jennifer Pizer.
Freedom to Marry Executive Director Evan Wolfson said: "Today is a day of jubilation as Washington, D.C., joins the five states and eight countries where same-sex
couples now share in the freedom to marry. The issuance of marriage licenses to same-sex couples in America's capital marks a significant victory for the national
movement to secure the freedom to marry, and a great joy for D.C. couples who no longer need to leave home to secure the protections and responsibilities of marriage
for their families."
In a three-page opinion rejecting the anti-gay activists' petition, U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts wrote: "(A) stay is not warranted. First, as
'a matter of judicial policy' -- if not 'judicial power' -- 'it has been the practice of the Court to defer to the decisions of the courts of the District of
Columbia on matters of exclusively local concern.' ... Second, the Act at issue was adopted by the (D.C.) Council and placed before Congress for the 30-day
period of review required by the D.C. Charter. ... A joint resolution of disapproval by Congress would prevent the Act from going into effect, but Congress
has chosen not to act."
The D.C. Council legalized same-sex marriage in an 11-2 vote Dec. 15 and Mayor Adrian Fenty signed the bill Dec. 18. The measure then moved to Congress for
a review period of 30 "legislative" days. It did not encounter any opposition there.
Same-sex marriage also is legal in Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont; in Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway,
South Africa, Spain and Sweden; and in Mexico City and Argentina's Tierra del Fuego province. It is expected to become legal shortly in
Portugal and Buenos Aires.
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