Below The Beltway

On the same day that Vermont voted to enact marriage equality, the D.C. City Council voted to recognize gay marriages from other states:

The D.C. Council unanimously voted yesterday to recognize gay marriages performed elsewhere, joining a growing number of states to loosen restrictions on the unions.

The District’s actions came the same day as Vermont became the fourth state to recognize same-sex marriages and a week after the Iowa Supreme Court legalized such unions. The moves generated a sense of momentum and hope among gay activists and anger among some religious and conservative groups.

The vote in the District was preliminary. Lawmakers expect a final one May 5. The District already allows domestic partnerships, and its decision was the first step in a looming battle for the city’s gay marriage bill. That measure is expected to be introduced in the council soon and undoubtedly will pit the city against opponents in Congress, which has the final say in the District’s legislative matters.

“I think we’re going to look back at this week as a moment when our entire country turned a corner,” said Jennifer C. Pizer, national marriage project director for the advocacy group Lambda Legal. “Each time there’s an important step forward, it makes it easier for others to follow.”

That road remains an uphill one for supporters, however. Forty-three states have laws prohibiting gay marriages — 29 of those with constitutional amendments specifically defining marriage as between a man and a woman.

Under Home Rule, the District’s laws are subject to approval by Congress.

But council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) said “the writing is on the wall” that the city will approve gay marriage. “We are now taking the issue directly to Congress, and no one else can do that,” said Graham, who is gay.

It will be interesting to see what the Democratic Congress does with this.