Gay Marriage Is
Legal in U.S. Capital
Published: March 3, 2010, New York Times
WASHINGTON — It was cold and drizzling outside the City Courthouse just after
6 a.m. on Wednesday, but no one seemed to mind among the same-sex couples
waiting for the chance to apply for a marriage license.
gThis is a dream come true,h said Sinjoyla Townsend, 41, as she smiled ear to
ear and held up her ticket indicating she was first in line with her partner of
12 years, Angelisa Young, 47. gWe wanted it so bad.h
Gay rights advocates hailed the day as a milestone for equal rights and a
symbolic victory as same-sex
marriage became legal in the nationfs capital.
Washington is now the sixth place in the nation where same-sex marriages can
take place. Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont also
issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
Despite failing in court, opponents of the law vowed to fight another day.
The law survived Congressional attempts to block it, and Chief Justice John
G. Roberts Jr. on Tuesday rejected a request from opponents of same-sex
marriage to have the United
States Supreme Court delay it.
Mayor Adrian
M. Fenty signed the measure into law in December, but because the District
of Columbia is not a state, the law had to undergo Congressional review, which
ended Tuesday.
Catholic
Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington on Tuesday limited employee
health care benefits to avoid coverage of same-sex couples. It was the second
time Catholic Charities changed its rules to protest same-sex marriage, having
earlier ended its foster
care program.
The new law was already having regional implications.
Marylandfs attorney general, Douglas F. Gansler, issued a legal opinion last
week concluding that Maryland should immediately recognize same-sex marriages
performed elsewhere.
Mr. Ganslerfs move is expected to draw legal and legislative challenges, but
for Terrance Heath of Montgomery County, Md., it was the turning point that
persuaded him to get married.
gWe realized that we can finally get many of the benefits and protections
that other couples take for granted,h said Mr. Heath, 41, a blogger who lives
with his partner, Rick Imirowicz, 43, and their two adopted sons.
gBefore that attorney general decision we could have the legal documents,
like wills and medical power of attorney,h Mr. Heath said. gBut there was no
guarantee that those documents would be recognized.h
He said that he and Mr. Imirowicz had worried about what might happen to any
inheritance meant for their sons, Parker, 7, and Dylan, 2. gMarriage gives us
peace of mind,h Mr. Heath said. gIt gives my family security that we deserve.h
At the cityfs Marriage Bureau inside the Moultrie Courthouse, just blocks
from the Capitol, the mood was giddy as couples hugged and talked about a day
they never thought would arrive.
gI became a naturalized U.S. citizen in the mid-f90s,h said Cuc Vu, a native
of Vietnam who was third in line with her partner of 20 years, Gwen Migita. gBut
this is really the first time that I feel like I have the full rights and
benefits of citizenship.h
Court officials explained that the Marriage Bureau had changed its license
applications: They ask for the name of each spouse rather than the bride and
groom. Officials who perform the weddings read, gI now pronounce you legally
married.h
On a typical day the office processes 10 licenses, court officials said. By
late Wednesday afternoon, more than 140 couples had filed to be married, the
mayorfs office said.
Because of a mandatory waiting period, couples will not be able to marry in
the city until Tuesday.
City officials say the measure will also provide a financial boost to the
local economy. A study by the Williams Institute at the University
of California, Los Angeles, predicted that more than 14,000 same-sex
marriages would occur in the city over the next three years, which would bring
in $5 million in new tax revenue and create 700 jobs.