What with all the news about Vermont yesterday and Iowa last week, I totally missed the big news in my own backyard. The D.C. Council voted to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. Of course yesterday's vote did not make it so. The council is expected to take a final vote on the legislation next month and it has to be approved by Congress, under Home Rule. It seems to me that Congress could be the big stumbling block here.
The council voted unanimously on the measure yesterday to recognize marriages performed outside of D.C. I'd be quite surprised it is approved by Congress. Even our progressive President says he is against same-sex marriage, so it is hard to see how Congress will approve such a law. The U.S. Congress isn't exactly as forward thinking as Sweden (or Vermont or even Iowa).
The article in today's Washington Post adds that D.C. Councilman David Catania plans on submitting legislation soon to legalize same-sex marriage for the District. Currently, D.C. does recognize domestic partnerships, but perhaps soon I could be a legally married man.
Interestingly, Shane and I haven't taken advantage of becoming domestic partners yet. We have wills and other legal documents that give us many of the rights that DP offers, but we haven't taken the time to get a DP yet. Maybe we'll be able to skip that step and just get married soon, if he'll have me.
