Same-Sex Marriages Now Recognized in D.C.

Perhaps one of the most-talked-about hot button issues facing United States today is homosexual marriage.  Arguments from both ends of the spectrum have been duly noted since as early as the late 1990s.  Now, as the power becomes one reserved for indivudual states, more states have begun to ratify the approval of same-sex marriages.
The most recent addition to the list of local governments allowing same-sex unions is Washington, D.C.

Same-sex couples and gay rights activists alike were pleased to find out that this week Washington, D.C. became only the sixth place in the United States to legalize and recognize same-sex unions, partnerships and marriages.

The verdict is the result of a refusal of the United States Supreme Court to stop an earlier law that permitted gay marriage.

In December, it was made legal in the Capitol, but did not become official until this week after congressional review. The District of Columbia joins Iowa, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont.

The gay marriage had virtually unanimous support from the D.C. Council when it was approved late last year, but because Washington is a federal district, the legislation underwent a congressional review period. During the fight for the legislation, supporters drew parallels to the Civil Rights Movement.

They argued that bans on gay marriage may one day seem as "ridiculous" as previous bans on interracial marriages.

Opponents appealed to Chief Justice John Roberts on the basis that D.C. voters themselves should have been allowed to vote on the issue. However, local courts did not share their views and rejected their arguments.

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington is among many religious organizations within the city that does not approve of this week's actions. Earlier this week, it limited healthcare benefits to employees to avoid the coverage of same-sex couples.
Washington, D.C. officials have said publicly that the law will provide increased revenues.

The Washington Post reports that a study by the Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles predicts that over 14,000 gay couples are likely to get married in D.C. over the next three years. By 2013, D.C. could see $5 million in new tax revenue and create 700 jobs.

Homosexual couples are able to apply for marriage licenses this week, but will not be able to actually begin marrying until Tuesday, March 9. Hundreds of couples have already lined up to be married and crowded outside of local courthouses. They have forced the D.C. Marriage Bureau to utilize extra staff.

Marcus Andrew, junior chemical engineering major, supports the permission of gay couples to marry. Andrew notes that with the current rate of adultery, divorce and abuse within many heterosexual couples, it doesn't make sense to stop the marriage of two people who love each other.

"Allowing gays to marry is alright with me," Andrew said. "I don't see anything wrong with it."

Now that the nation's capital has taken action on the issue, many states are expected to follow suit.