DC: Local Methodist Church Defies Church Leaders, Will Perform Gay/Lesbian Weddings

A United Methodist congregation in Washington, D.C. has vowed to celebrate same-sex weddings, putting itself at odds with other Christian churches protesting the District of Columbia's new marriage equality law. The pastor and 12 other ordained clergy who attend Dumbarton United Methodist Church in Georgetown said they would conduct such ceremonies after Congress failed to override D.C.'s new law on March 3. The larger United Methodist Church does not permit same-sex weddings, and no other Methodist congregation in Washington has taken the same step.

"As a pastor, I am called to extend care and grace to all people even as Jesus did," said Rev. Mary Kay Totty, pastor at the 238-year-old church. "We celebrate love and loyalty wherever it is found."

Dumbarton church's stand is poles apart from the protests by other Christian churches that same-sex marriages are against biblical teachings. Catholic Charities has announced that it will close its adoption and foster care programs in the District, rather than provide services to gay and lesbian couples. Some Christian ministers have rallied against the marriage equality law.

Full Story from PR Newswire
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DC: Supreme Court Refuses to Block Gay Marriage Law: Licenses Start Today

In an order issued late Tuesday evening by Chief Justice John Roberts, the US Supreme Court refused to block a gay marriage ordinance passed by the District of Columbia's City Council. In a short opinion, Roberts wrote "Without addressing the merits of petitioners' underlying claim, however, I conclude that 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 Council and placed before Congress for the 30-day period of review required by the D. C. Charter," Roberts continued. "A joint resolution of disapproval by Congress would prevent the Act from going into effect, but Congress has chosen not to act."

A Congressional veto could have overruled the Council, but attempts by conservatives were blocked in the House. Conservative groups then went to the Courts, but failed.

Full Story from Chicago Pride
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DC: Gay Marriage Foes Ask Supreme Court for Emergency Injunction

The Associated Press is reporting that foes of a DC gay marriage law set to take effect Wednesday are asking the Supreme Court to halt its start. The challenge was filed with Chief Justice John Roberts on Monday. Opponents say the law should be put up for a vote.

The government of DC approved the law in December, but has been defending gay marriage since it approved a law last spring that recognizes the marriages of gay and lesbian couples from other states.

A last-minute appeal to the District of Columbia Appeals Court, which was rejected Friday, left opponents with few legal options to head off the law from going into effect.

Full Story from On Top Magazine
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Washington DC Expecting Long Lines, Protesters When Gay Marriage Licenses Released Tomorrow

D.C. Superior Court, where couples go to get marriage licenses, is preparing for big crowds as soon as same-sex marriage becomes legal Wednesday. "The one thing that we want people to keep in mind because they want to be part of the initial rush to get a license is that you bring with you your ability to be patient," says D.C. Superior Court Chief Judge Lee F. Satterfield.

Expect long lines and lots of protesters.

On a typical day, the court gets about a dozen applications for marriage licenses. In addition to your patience, Satterfield asks that if you are coming down to be one of the first to apply for a license that you bring your identification and cash or a money order.

Full Story from WTOP.com
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DC: Gay Marriage Licenses Likely Available March 3rd

The projected start date of gay marriages in Washington has slipped by a day. The city now says March 3, a Wednesday, will likely be the first day same-sex couples can apply for a marriage license in the city.

The D.C. City Council passed a law in December that allows the unions, but because the city is under Congress' control the bill doesn't take effect until it has undergone a 30-day Congressional review period. Congress could act to stop the bill from taking effect, though that doesn't appear likely.

Congress wasn't in session on one day, Feb. 12, that district officials thought it would be, lengthening by a day the time until same-sex couples can marry.

Full Story from the Washington Examiner
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DC: Marriage Equality Opponents Appeal Board Decision, Again

Opponents of same-sex marriage in Washington DC appealed a court order today that upheld a DC Board of Elections ruling against holding a referendum on the issue.

Stand4MarriageDC and the Alliance Defense Fund, two conservative groups active in the nation's capital, lodged the appeal on Wednesday. Attorneys for the two organizations placed the appeal in the hopes of allowing the issue of same-sex marriage to be decided by a popular vote.

"We are appealing because the District's marriage redefinition law shouldn't go into effect until voters have the opportunity to vote on a critical matter that affects everyone in the District," senior legal counsel Austin R. Nimocks said in a news release picked up by the Washington Post.

Full Story from Examiner.com
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DC: Catholic Church Closes Foster Care Program, Citing Gay Marriage Law

The Archdiocese of Washington has decided to drop its foster care program over a dispute on pending same-sex marriage law with the District of Columbia. The decision, posted late yesterday on the archdiocese’s Web site, announced that the archdiocese had ceased its 80-year-old program Feb. 1, the day the city’s contract expired with Catholic Charities, the church’s social services arm.

“We regret that our efforts to avoid this outcome were not successful,” Catholic Charities Chief Executive Officer Ed Orzechowski said in a statement. “Foster care has been an important ministry for us for many decades. We worked very hard to be able to continue to provide these services in the District.”

Catholic Charities, which runs more than 20 social service programs for the District, transferred its entire foster-care program — 43 children, 35 families and seven staff members — to another provider, the National Center for Children and Families.

Full Story from Lez Get Real
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DC: Poll - 70% in Black Community Want Gay Marriage Vote, 51% Would Vote Against It

Responses to a Washington Post poll of 1,135 adults in the District of Columbia. (Washington Post):

22. On another subject, do you think it should be legal or illegal for gay and lesbian couples to get married? Do you feel that way strongly or somewhat?

--------- Legal ---------
NET Strongly Somewhat
1/28/10 56 42 13
White 83 70 14
Black 37 24 13
-------- Illegal -------- No
NET Somewhat Strongly opinion
1/28/10 35 5 30 9
White 12 4 9 4
Black 51 7 44 12

23. As you may have heard, the D.C. Council passed and the mayor signed legislation to permit
same-sex marriages in the District. Do you think this issue should be put on a city-wide ballot, so District voters could vote yes or no on a referendum on same-sex marriage?

Should be on Should not be on No
city-wide ballot city-wide ballot opinion
1/28/10 59 37 4
White 39 58 3
Black 70 25 6

The disturbing results on Question 22 & Question 23 suggest, by a significant margin, that most of Washington, DC's African-American residents would like to vote on the civil rights of the gay and lesbian community. It may seem ridiculous to divide the population on unscientific, fabricated notions of race, but these results (if accurate) infer that those who self-identify as black continue to be opposed to same-sex marriages. Only 1 in 4 said there should be no referendum. Those who identify as white tended to say no vote was necessary, but nearly 2 in 5 still said there should be a referendum. Neighborhoods in Washington, DC, as most residents will agree, are largely self-segregated along ethnic lines as well as economic ones.

Full Story from Metro Weekly
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DC: Elections Board Rejects Gay Marriage Opponents for a Third Time

Third time was not the charm for opponents of gay marriage in the District of Columbia. On Thursday, their latest effort to delay the expected March 3 start of a gay marriage law also ran aground. In its third ruling on the issue, the Board of Elections and Ethics rejected opponents' latest attempt to place on the ballot an initiative that would ban gay marriage in the District. The board has consistently ruled that such a measure would violate the city's Human Rights Act (HRA) that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation.

“The Referendum seeks to frustrate this effort, and would, if successful, have the effect of authorizing discrimination in contravention of the HRA,” the board said in its 18-page ruling. “Accordingly, it does not present a proper subject for referendum, and may not be accepted by the Board.”

Opponents have appealed the board's previous rulings to the D.C. Superior Court, and are likely to appeal its latest decision. In both cases, however, the court agreed with the board.

Full Story from On Top Magazine
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DC: Anti Gay Marriage Lawsuit Dismissed

A District of Columbia Superior Court Judge has dismissed a lawsuit aimed at putting marriage equality in the District of Columbia to a vote. In September, a group led by an Anti- Gay Maryland preacher, Bishop Harry Jackson, had asked the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics to approve a ballot measure establishing that “only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in the District of Columbia.” However, finding that that such a referendum would violate the D.C. Human Rights Act by discriminating against gays and lesbians, the board decided to deny that request and Jackson sued, arguing that the Human Rights Act could not be used to stop citizens from putting ballot initiatives to a vote. Earlier this month Yesterday Thirty-nine Republican legislators, including 37 members of the House and two senators, also filed an amicus brief to Jackson’s lawsuit and were supporting a public vote on the issue. Yesterday, Judge Judith N. Macaluso ruled in favor of a District motion asking the suit be dropped and agreed with Board of Elections and Ethics decision, saying the board’s action were justified because the initiative would in effect authorize and “ostracize a disfavored minority in violation of District of Columbia law.” Full Story from Lez Get Real

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DC: hearing on Anti Gay Marriage Ballot Measure Set for February 16th

Today the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics set a hearing date for an initiative proposed by a Ward 8 resident that would limit marriage in the District to heterosexual couples. The initiative simply reads, "Marriage is the legally recognized union between one man and one woman. No person may enter into a marriage in the District of Columbia with another person unless it is a man and a woman." The board will hear arguments for and against the initiative on Feb. 16. This is the second initiative filed so far; there have also been two referenda petitions filed. This initiative was proposed by Joyce Little in late December. This isn't Little's first attempt to stop same-sex marriage from becoming legal in the District, either. According to the D.C. Agenda, Little filed a motion in December that would have stopped the D.C. Council from voting on the same-sex marriage legislation. Her motion was turned down. (The motion is here in .PDF format.) Little, who has identified herself as a Christian who sees homosexuality as an "abomination," has also argued that same-sex marriage will have a negative impact on the city's poor. Full Story from DCist: http://dcist.com/2010/01/hearing_set_for_initiative_limiting.php

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DC: Neighborhood Commissioner Asks Congress to Force Public Vote on Gay Marriage

Bob King is a longtime Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner (ANC) from Ward 5 in Washington, DC. He is also a proponent of letting the DC gay marriage issue go to popular vote. Upset that the DC Board of Elections and Ethics ruled twice that the majority cannot vote on the rights of the minority, Bob King sent a letter earlier this month to all 535 members of Congress asking that they force the DC gay marriage issue to popular vote. With the letter he attached a one-page list of bullet points outlining why DC residents should be allowed to vote on gay marriage. His basic argument was that with 416,657 registered voters in Washington, DC, the issue of gay marriage should not be left up to 13 city council members. He feels as though DC (which is not a state and has no voting power in Congress) should have the same rights as the 31 states that have voted to define marriage. Mr. King also feels that many residents are not be fairly represented. ”Three Advisory Neighborhood Commissions have adopted joint resolutions, and over 50 individual ANC Commissioners have already signed on to the People’s Resolution calling for a citizens’ initiative on the definition of marriage in D.C. This represents over 100,000 District residents.” Full Story from Gay Vantage: http://www.gayvantage.com/uncategorized/will-bob-king-kill-gay-marriage-in-dc-48472011/

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DC: Anti Gay Marriage Group Buying Metro Ads

First we learned that the newly passed DC gay marriage law is under attack by Congressman Jason Caffetz. Earlier today we learned about Bob King, who petitioned Congress to allow the issue to go to popular vote. Now we’re hearing that Stand for Marriage DC, a group that opposes same-sex marriage in the nation’s capital has bought ads from the DC metro system. In response, another group, Full Equality Now DC, has demanded the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) remove the ads from metro buses. The group feels that it disrespects and discriminates against the LGBT community, an issue of indecency and in direct violation of WMATA’s own policy against discrimination. Full Story from Gay Vantage: http://www.gayvantage.com/gay-news/anti-gay-marriage-ads-pop-up-on-dc-metro-7562617100/

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DC: District Asks for Dismissal of Gay Marriage Lawsuit

Although gay marriage will soon be taking place in Washington DC (so long as Congress does not block it, which they are not expected to do), opponents of same-sex marriage have filed suit against the District of Columbia over the DC Board of Elections and Ethics decision to not let gay marriage become a ballot issue. One the same day that Mayor Fenty was signing the new gay marriage law, the District filed a motion (found below) to have the lawsuit dismissed. In the 46-page motion, lawyers for the District argue that the DC Board of Elections and Ethics was correct in rejecting the ballot measure in that it violated the DC Human Rights Act by discriminating against GLBT people. The DC Code does not permit initiatives that “authorize discrimination.” Full Story from Gay Vantage: http://www.gayvantage.com/gay-news/dc-gay-marriage-lawsuit-2484010018/

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DC: Gay Marriage to Bring Economic Windfall

Robin Sutliff's flower shop is redolent with the ingredients of a perfect wedding place setting: tall stands of white amaryllis, cala lilies imported from South America, summery clusters of yellow-orange orchids. When she imagines the many same-sex couples likely to tie the knot in the District this spring, though, her mind settles on the humble hyacinth. "It's a pretty flower," said Sutliff, owner of Ultra Violet florist in Georgetown. "It smells good, and it's strong. It represents spring and new birth." On Friday, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) signed legislation to legalize same-sex marriage in the District, a move that is expected to be a financial boon for the city and for vendors such as Sutliff, who make much of their money on weddings but who have struggled during the recession. District officials surmise that the regional economy could reap up to $22 million over the next three years as couples from Washington and elsewhere take advantage of the new law, and the Williams Institute, a think tank at the University of California at Los Angeles, estimates that the infusion could be $52 million. But the betrothed are not lining up quite yet. The law is subject to a 30-day review period by Congress, and opponents have taken their objections to court. Although many expect the bill to pass unhindered this spring, couples say the memory of California's Proposition 8 remains fresh in their minds. The 2008 voter-approved initiative banned same-sex marriage in the state after it had been legalized, a setback to many hopeful couples and a stunning reversal to those who thought gay marriage was on the path to mainstream acceptance. Full Story from the Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/19/AR2009121902234.html?wprss=rss_metro

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DC: Mayor Adrian Fenty to Sign Gay Marriage Bill Today

The nation's capital city is expected a major step Friday towards legalizing same-sex marriage. District of Columbia Mayor Adrian Fenty is scheduled to sign a measure that would recognize gay marriages as legal. The city council overwhelming passed the bill on Tuesday, following a similar vote on December 1. According to Fenty's schedule, posted on-line, the mayor will perform the signing at All Souls Church, a Unitarian house of worship in the northwest part of the District that is known for its diversity and for the welcoming of same-sex couples. Following the mayor's signing of the legislation, the measure goes to Congress for a 30-day review period, but it's considered unlikely that the Democratic majority on Capitol Hill will block the bill. By law, Congress has the right to review and overturn laws created by the District's city council. If the measure becomes law, the District would join Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont and Iowa in allowing legal same-sex marriages. A law legalizing gay marriage in New Hampshire takes affect on January 1. Full Story from CNN: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/12/18/dc-mayor-to-sign-same-sex-marriage-bill/

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DC: Utah Republican to Lead Charge Against DC Gay Marriage in Congress

Utah Representative Jason Chaffetz has vowed to lead an effort in Congress to block a gay marriage bill approved in the District of Columbia Tuesday. With an 11 to 2 vote, lawmakers approved the gay marriage bill, which is expected to be signed by Mayor Adrian Fenty before Christmas. Under Home Rule, Congress has final say on laws approved in the District. Chaffetz, a freshman representative, told the Salt Lake Tribune that he'll introduce a resolution in January. “It's going to be exceptionally difficult because Democrats have us outnumbered by large amounts,” he said. “Nevertheless, we're going to try.” Full Story from On Top Magazine: http://ontopmag.com/article.aspx?id=5009&MediaType=1&Category=26

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DC: City OK's Gay Marriage on 11-2 Vote

The District was on the verge Tuesday of becoming the sixth place in the country to legalize same-sex marriage after the council gave final approval to its bill allowing the unions. The legislation would allow gay couples from anywhere in the country to marry in the city. Those couples who live in the District would be entitled to all rights afforded to heterosexual married couples under District laws. Although a final signature on the bill by Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) could come by the end of the week, same-sex marriage opponents vowed to step up their effort to get Congress or a court to block the initiative during the 30-day congressional review period. The 11 to 2 council decision, which caps a nearly year-long debate, set off a wave of excitement across the gay community, both locally and nationally. "In many ways, this is the final prize," said council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1), one of two people on the council who are openly gay. Full Story from the Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/15/AR2009121500945.html?hpid=moreheadlines

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DC: Video of Gay Marriage Vote Tuesday

Our shot of the day comes from Tuesday's City Council meeting in Washington, DC in which the members voted to legalize gay marriage in the nation's capitol. The mayor says he will sign the bill into law. As we told you then, the measure still has to be approved by Congress. However, Congress did not act when the same council voted to recognize same sex marriages performed outside the District. Many believe that any action by Congress will automatically create a national referendum on marriage equality. Full Story from Gay Socialites: http://gaysocialites.com/2009/12/watch_the_dc_council_legalize_1.html

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DC: Final Vote Today on Gay Marriage Bill

The D.C. Council will hold its final vote Tuesday on whether to legalize same-sex marriage in the District, capping a debate that has gone on almost all year. Most members of the 13-member council have said they will support the legislation. The vote is expected about midday. If the bill passes, it will be sent to Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D), who is expected to sign it before Christmas. The bill will become law this spring if, as expected, it survives a 30-day congressional review period. "We are on the verge of history," Council member David A. Catania (I-At large), the lead sponsor of the bill, told about 350 same-sex marriage supporters at a pre-vote rally Monday night in Shaw. "For the world to see gays and lesbian couples equal to straight couples in the nation's capital, that is an important message." Council member Harry Thomas (D-Ward 5), who also addressed the crowd, said the council is poised to send a signal to the nation "this is a human rights issue for justice and equality." Full Story from the Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/15/AR2009121500945.html?wprss=rss_metro/dc

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