D.C. gay marriage bill could find tough going late
By: Michael Neibauer
Examiner Staff Writer
October 6, 2009
The gay marriage bill that the D.C. Council will soon have before it should see a relatively smooth ride through the local legislative process, before it runs into expected resistance in Congress.
At-large Councilman David Catania, one of two openly gay council members, said he will introduce the long-awaited marriage equality bill Tuesday. The proposal has the strong support of at least 10 of 13 members, virtually guaranteeing its adoption.
"I think it will be remarkable how little energy is expended on this effort," Catania told The Examiner on Monday.
The District already recognizes gay marriages legally performed elsewhere. Catania's bill defines marriage in D.C. as "the legally recognized union of two people." It protects the clergy's right not to marry a gay couple. And it dissolves domestic partnerships of couples that marry.
The bill is to be referred to the judiciary committee, chaired by at-large Councilman Phil Mendelson. Mendelson, a strong gay rights advocate, has said the council should expect a first reading on the bill by early December.
"I think it's an evolutionary process," Council Chairman Vincent Gray said of same-sex marriage in D.C. "It's where we are as a city."
But gay marriage critics are banking on a fresh wave of opposition as word of the bill grows.
The Archdiocese of Washington is squarely focused on the council and will be in attendance as Catania introduces the bill, said spokeswoman Susan Gibbs. Colorado-based Focus on the Family is working with local organizations to "defend one-man, one-woman marriage," the organization said in a statement.
And Bishop Harry Jackson of Beltsville's Hope Christian Church continues his campaign for a voter initiative on this "major, historic, defining issue."
"It's hypocritical that the city is asking for home rule and it won't let the people vote," Jackson said Monday.
The final showdown, however, may be in Congress, where all D.C. legislation must undergo a 30-day review before becoming law. Conservatives have said they want to smother the bill in the House, but the overwhelming Democratic majority will make that difficult.
"Opposition to civil rights is not new," D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton said in a statement. "We should approach the rights of gay couples and families with the same resolution and results as we had for others who have sought their human rights in Congress and in the District."
