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Loading ...DC Council OKs gay marriage bill
05.05.2009 1:33pm EDT
(Washington) The Washington, D.C., Council on Tuesday gave final approval to legislation that recognizes same-sex marriages performed in areas where they are legal.
During an emotional debate on the bill, David Catania, one of two openly gay council members, called the issue one of fundamental fairness.“The march towards equality is coming to this country, and you can either be a part of it or stand in the way,” said Catania.
The vote was 12-to-1, with former Mayor Marion Barry casting the lone opposing vote after a revote. He called it an “agonizing and difficult decision” made after prayer and consulting with the religious community.
The vote is considered the first step toward eventually allowing gay marriages to be performed in Washington.
The issue now goes before Congress, which has final say over the city’s laws. Congressional Republicans are vowing they will do all they can to block it.
The congressional review could be the new Congress’ first opportunity to signal its appetite for re-examining the Defense of Marriage Act, which bars federal recognition of same-sex marriages and allows states to do the same.
Advocates from both sides were part of an overflow crowd that filled city hall, and more than 100 opponents from churches in the Washington region held a rally.
DC already has a domestic partner registry that was enacted in 2007 to the ire of Republicans.
The registry allows same- and opposite-sex unmarried couples to register their relationships. It includes such partner rights as hospital and nursing home visitations, medical decisions, and inheritance rights.
After the law was passed, then-President George W. Bush threatened to veto a bill in Congress providing federal funding to the District, unless a clause was added stating the money could not be used to fund the domestic partner registry.
With Democrats firmly in Control of the White House and Congress there is little that Republicans can do but denounce the DC measure.
We should excuse Mr. Barry for his vote against the GLBT Community, after all, years of drug abuse has addled his brain…
The vote was 12-to-1, with former Mayor Marion Barry ‘casting the lone opposing vote after a revote. He called it an “agonizing and difficult decision” made after prayer and consulting with the religious community.’
no.. it was made after running out to hit the crack pipe again
Just about everything in this report about domestic partenerhsips is wrong. Stop making stuff up.
DC’s DP law passed in 1992. The Congress, under a Democratic majority blocked the implementation of the law through the budget. In 2001, the Congress lifted the ban on the use of local funds to implement the law. Since then, 15 bills have passed to expand the rights and responsibilities of DPs until the final DP bill passed today, in addition to the marriage-recognition bill. Bush never threatened to veto a DC budget bill over DPs.
WE SHOULD HAVE IMPEACHED BUSH WHEN WE HAD THE CHANCE.LOL
DC should become a state. I know this may be impossible since it would require an amendment to the constitution. It just doesn’t seem right to have members of congress from far away states deciding the rights of individuals in DC. Taxation without representation is not right.
The Rev. Anthony Evans, a pastor at Mount Zion Baptist Church in Washington, said he would work to have the measure killed in Congress — and to unseat every D.C. Council member who voted for it.
“They just kissed their political careers goodbye,” he said.
Let’s oppose and work against him
No surprise – This nation is fast becoming something that would make our grandparents roll over in their graves.