D.C. May Recognize Same-Sex Marriages
In a unanimous vote on April 7, the D.C. Council approved a new measure to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. While the vote remains preliminary, a final vote is expected sometime in early May, according to The Washington Post.
The Council delivered the vote the same day that Vermont lawmakers legalized same-sex marriage and a week after the Iowa Supreme Court did the same.
“Gay couples, no less than others, must be entitled to the protection of their marriages sanctioned in other states, especially in today’s mobile society,” Del. Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), stated in an April 8 press release.
“Particularly considering that many gay couples are also parents, every effort must be made to protect these families and their children as they move among our states,” Norton added.
Across the country, many advocacy groups have responded enthusiastically to the Council’s vote, linking it to the recent measures in Vermont and Iowa.
“As Iowa, Vermont and the District of Columbia make crystal clear this week, understanding is dawning for more and more people that unequal treatment of lesbian and gay couples is just another caste system,” said Jennifer C. Pizer, director of the advocacy group Lambda Legal Marriage Project, in a press release on April 8.
Lambda Legal is a national organization based in New York that promotes the rights of those in the LGBTQ community and those living with HIV.
“It is becoming increasingly obvious to people of good will that fairness, decency and the Golden Rule demand marriage equality for all,” Pizer added.
Other supporters worry about the possible repercussions of these recent victories and their news coverage.
“Happy as the news makes me, I know that social conservatives around the nation will fight against us all the more vigorously in light of our recent successes in Iowa and Vermont,” said Michael Costa (COL ’09), a GU Pride member.
Several conservative think tanks have already voiced heated opposition to the Council’s decision.
“Protection against private ‘discrimination’ has historically been offered only for characteristics that are inborn, involuntary, immutable, innocuous and/or in the Constitution — yet none of these describe homosexual behavior,” Peter Sprigg, vice president for policy at the Family Research Council, said in a public statement on the group’s official web site.
Based in D.C., the conservative think-tank and lobbying group campaigns against same-sex marriage and abortion legislation. Sprigg told The Washington Post that he believes the same-sex marriage vote was largely a political strategy on the part of the D.C. Council.
“What they have done seemed to be a little bit of a Trojan horse,” he said.
D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty has defended the legislation, saying that all citizens, including homosexuals, are entitled to the same rights. He has also suggested that he believes that same-sex marriages will be legalized in the District.
Many Georgetown students have also praised the recent legislation and what it might mean for same-sex couples in the District.
“I personally am very excited to see the local D.C. government react to the generally liberal position of D.C.’ers on LGBTQ issues,” GU Pride Treasurer Laura Kresse (SFS ’12) said.
Joseph Graumann (SFS ’11), co-president of GU Pride, added his strong support for the measure.
“It’s great to hear that D.C. has voted to recognize same-sex marriages from other states, [but] it’s a shame they had to vote at all …” Graumann said. “However, any time there’s a stride towards equality, it’s a good thing. Hopefully, citizens of other states will soon be able to realize the same equality that those of Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Iowa enjoy.”
Apr 17 2009 at 8:27 p.m.
The author stated that "several conservative think tanks have already voiced heated opposition to the Council’s decision."
However, no reference was made to the position of the Archdiocese of Washington, which one might think would be relevant to a Catholic institution.
However, for the remaining Catholics at GU, the following is the statement of the Archdiocese:
"Archdiocese Responds to Proposed DC Amendment on Same-Sex Relationships
April 07, 2009
The Archdiocese of Washington is deeply concerned over the amendment introduced today by the District of Columbia City Council to equate same-sex relationships with marriage in the District of Columbia by recognizing these relationships from other states.
Marriage is a natural institution established by God and written in the very nature of man and woman and is therefore endowed with its own proper laws. The equality of men and women and the dignity of their coming together as husband and wife is not merely a fact of religious faith or a creation by civil authorities, but a fundamental reality rooted in human nature and experience. Civil marriage is reserved to the union of one man and one woman because of its unique ability to bring children into the world and its role in forming a stable and secure foundation for our society. By legally equating unmarried couples with married couples, this bill erodes marriage.
It also is of great concern that an issue that has such significance for the families of our city was introduced in a manner that preempts discussion. We would expect differently in a democratic society.
We urge our elected officials to respect the definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman."