The District of Columbia appears set to legalize gay marriage:
After months of buildup, D.C. Council member David A. Catania (I-At large) announced Wednesday evening he would introduce his proposal to legalize same-sex marriage in the District at Tuesday’s council meeting.
Catania made his announcement before 150 gay rights activists gathered in Shaw for a rally featuring the Rev. Eric P. Lee, president of the Los Angeles chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
“We are going to do it now,” Catania told the crowd. “We are going to do it now, not for ourselves, but for the young people who are 20 years-old, 16-years-old, 13-years-old.”
According to a copy of the bill, the city code would be changed to state “marriage is the legally recognized union of two people” and “any person … may marry any other eligible person regardless of gender.”
Catania’s bill, which states religious organizations and officials have the right not to participate in same-sex marriages, is expected to pass the council easily when it comes up for a vote around Thanksgiving. Ten of 13 council members will co-introduce Catania’s bill Tuesday, and Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) has pledged to sign it.
But the measure still would have to get past Congress, which can overturn District legislation under Home Rule.
Of course, just because they can doesn’t mean they should.
October 1st, 2009 at 6:32 pm
I’m pretty sure that would conflict with DOMA, as D.C. is a federal trust territory that has been granted limited home rule.
Of course I think DOMA should be repealed (never mind supporting gay marriage, it’s just unconstitutional from a delegated powers perspective), but it is still the law as of now.
October 1st, 2009 at 8:31 pm
You’re absolutely right about that last line.
After all, the D.C. City Council could declare that all dogs are “cats,” but that wouldn’t make dogs cats.