Tag Archives: same-sex marriage

News, The Daily Feed
By

Fenty To Sign Same-Sex Marriage Bill Today

Photo courtesy of
‘well-dressed mayor’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

Mayor Fenty is scheduled to sign the same-sex marriage bill approved by the DC council at All Souls Unitarian Church in a public ceremony today.

Why sign the bill in a church? All Souls’ senior pastor Rev. Robert Hardies told the Washington Post that Fenty’s decision to sign this historic bill in a house of worship, “[…] is symbolic of the strong religious support for this bill in D.C.”

According to WTOP, supporters of the bill expect same-sex couples to have the ability to marry in DC as early as March.

The Daily Feed
By

Election board to discuss anti-gay marriage ballot initiative

Photo courtesy of
‘Capital Pride Parade’
courtesy of ‘spiggycat’

Friday’s DC Register has an announcement about  a scheduled public hearing by the Board of Elections and Ethics. On October 26th they’ll meet and listen to input on a proposed initiative, “Marriage Initiative of 2009.” It’s the usual anti-gay marriage boilerplate: an effort to put in the DC code the text “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in the District of Columbia.” The board will have to decide if this is something that actually can go on the ballot as an initiative and if it’s appropriate.

Personally I  think the issue is a simple one: do you think civil rights should be up for popular vote? My vote is no, and I, like a lot of people, would expect that anyone who gets to sit in the front of the bus or at the lunch counter would agree. However that’s not the case and WaPo had an interesting article in this weekend’s edition about the stark difference in opinion on gay marriage when you view answers in the District along racial lines. It’s worth a read.

If you want to speak at the Election board hearing you can find contact information in the public hearings section of the Sep 18th DC register.

The Daily Feed
By

No gay marriage referendum

Photo courtesy of
‘Buchanan’s Boyfriend’
courtesy of ‘M.V. Jantzen’

The D.C. Superior Court has ruled that the Elections & Ethics board acted correctly when it refused to allow a referendum on D.C.’s recognition of same-sex marriages performed in other states[pdf].

It was just over two weeks ago that the DCBOEE announced that the efforts to put forth a referendum on the matter would violate the city’s human rights act provisions. Kirk provided us with some analysis of the situation and just a few days later the referendum backers took the matter to court. Unless the backers of the referendum find some grounds to appeal this decision this might be the end of this measure.

More significantly, unless the referrendum backers get a higher court to issue an injunction staying any action till further appeal, this provision will likely take effect – and same-sex marriages performed and recognized in other states will be recognized by the District – by next Tuesday, July 6th.