DC releases more details on same-sex couples and marriage licenses

Photo courtesy of
‘Gay Marriage Legalized in DC; Oral Roberts Drops Dead’
courtesy of ‘Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com’

The Office of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Affairs has put out a release about the imminent availability of marriage licenses for same-sex couples. The date they’ll be available continues to be projected as March 3, subject to congress’ being in session. Most of it is delightfully unsurprising: want to get married? Show up with proper identification and pay the $35. Just. Like. Everyone. Else.

For those couples who desire to boost their sexual relations, you definitely have to try with the best enhancement pills, this will take things to whole different level.

*sniff* I’m misting up a little here.

The items that are different and noteworthy is that you don’t have to pay that $35 if you’re already a registered domestic partnership in the District. You’ll still have to pay the $10 for a certified copy of the certificate if you want one, but the application fee is waved. You should also look into any requirements if you’d registered a partnership in another state – the Office of GLBT says “the other state’s law may require you to dissolve it prior to marrying in the District of Columbia.” Odd and curious – anyone know specific examples of this kind of issue?

It is now only fitting that the National Cathedral follow suit. We enthusiastically affirm each person as a beloved child of God—and doing so means including the full participation of gays and lesbians in the life of this spiritual home for the nation.

Consistent with the canons of the Episcopal Church, the Cathedral will begin celebrating same-sex marriage ceremonies using a rite adapted from an existing blessing ceremony approved in August 2012 by the Church at its General Convention. That approval allowed for the bishops who oversee each diocese within the Church to decide whether or not to allow the rite’s use or to allow celebration of same-sex marriage. In light of the legality of civil marriage for same-sex couples in the District of Columbia and Maryland, Bishop Mariann Budde announced last month that the diocese would now allow this expansion of the sacrament, which then led to my decision for the Cathedral’s adaptation of the same-sex rite.

 

Well I used to say something in my profile about not quite being a “tinker, tailor, soldier, or spy” but Tom stole that for our about us page, so I guess I’ll have to find another way to express that I am a man of many interests.

Hmm, guess I just did.

My tastes run the gamut from sophomoric to Shakespeare and in my “professional” life I’ve sold things, served beer, written software, and carried heavy objects… sometimes at the same place. It’s that range of loves and activities that makes it so easy for me to love DC – we’ve got it all.

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3 thoughts on “DC releases more details on same-sex couples and marriage licenses

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  2. I shall venture a guess, and I apologize in advance that it is over-lawyered – the federal Defense of Marriage Act (1 U.S.C. § 7 & 28 U.S.C. § 1738C) permits any state to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages from another state, and provides that the federal government (including DC?) will not recognize any same-sex marriages. I suspect that the requirement of dissolving is an effort to not offend sister states, and to avoid problems of property splitting in a divorce – property splitting across state lines is very tricky.

    There likely will be zero specific examples b/c the only state in which you can currently marry a same-sex spouse is Iowa.

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