You aren’t quite Vermont, but you still warm my heart.
The D.C. Council voted today to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states, on the same day that Vermont became the fourth state to legalize same-sex unions.
Domestic partnerships are already legal in the nation’s capital. But today’s vote, billed as an important milestone in gay rights, explicitly recognizes relocated gay married couples as married.
The initial vote was 12-0. The unanimous vote sets the stage for future debate on legalizing same-sex marriage in the District and a clash with Congress, which approves the city’s laws under Home Rule. The council is expected to take a final vote on the legislation next month.
Today is a good one, huh?
Marriage equality in Vermont, the announcement that the Beatles remasters will finally be released . . . nope, today seriously couldn’t get much better! :)
Utah, Vermont, DC. All within the space of a few days!
It’s inevitable that it’s going to happen nationwide; the demographics just aren’t on the side of the bigots, who’re dying off slowly but surely and being replaced by their more educated and tolerant children. BOO-yah!
And if I may be granted a moment of smugness: It’s been legal in my neck of the woods, the Great White North, for almost four years now. :p
This is the best news out of DC since Heller.
CC@2: Utah? I thought it was Iowa.
I still hold out hope that we’ll eventually look back on this the way we do things like, oh, say, not allowing women to vote. It’s like, “What were we thinking? That was never right.”
Of course, I’m still feeling so happy to be out from under the Bush regime. It’s like a cloud being lifted. This case in particular, which I’ve been following closely, is starting to give me even more hope:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-f-kennedy-jr-and-brendan-demelle/paul-minors-attorneys-fil_b_184013.html
GG, it was. Iowa was a state Supreme Court decision striking down the anti-gay marriage law as unconstitutional, which is exciting enough in itself, but Vermont’s law came from the legislature, which totally takes the wind out of the “activist judge” sails of the ship of conservative talking points.
Wait, No, God Hates Vermont. (And DC.)…
God’s gonna have to set aside another day of rest to catch up on all the state-hating He has to do, because Vermont just joined Iowa in making gay marriage legal – and it came through the legislature this time…….
With regard to DC, i think the support is there for marriage equality legislation. my sense is it won’t gain traction until dc voting rights gets voted on in congress. people don’t want to scare away supporters of that bill.
Hey Jill,
Here in DC we’re trying to figure out what this means in practice – doesn’t the DC City Council vote need the stamp of approval from Fenty? That will probably pass, but then don’t we need a subsequent stamp of approval from Congress (probably won’t pass?)
Does this make the DC City Council vote symbolic? Ah!!
Tanya :)
I may have just answered my own question:
http://washblade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=24881
CC@2: Utah? I thought it was Iowa.
Oops–I knew it was a state with four letters in the name. This Canadian regrets the error!
[...] things you should know about but I’m too unwell to write about: The District of Columbia now recognises same-sex marriages performed in other states. Same-sex marriage is now legal in Vermont. Light a [...]