An enlarged Democratic majority in the 111th Congress may come with a cherry on top for same-sex couples in D.C.: the possibility of wedded bliss. Sources at City Hall told the Washington Blade that, assuming Democrats gain enough Congressional seats in November, the District’s City Council may pass a gay marriage bill in the upcoming spring. It’s about time, too. Gay and lesbian couples deserve the same legal and financial rights afforded to straight couples in the District. But before the Council takes the next step towards full equality for all of its constituents, it must ensure that the backlash from Congress won’t outweigh the benefit of a gay marriage bill.
The need for the bill, especially in the District, is indisputable. Percentage-wise, D.C. has even more same-sex couples than our gay-friendly neighbor to the west, California. A report from the U.S. Census estimated that same-sex couples constituted 5.1 percent of the D.C.’s coupled households in 2000, more than three times than the next closest state. This means that thousands in D.C. are unable to visit their partners in the hospital, are forced to pay higher taxes than married couples, and are deprived of other countless benefits enjoyed by their straight neighbors. The D.C. Council, which includes two gay councilmembers, Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) and David Catania (I-At Large), should be commended for supporting a same-sex marriage bill in principle.
But in practice, passing such a bill could prove perilous for a city which has long been under Congress’ thumb. In 2005, when former Mayor Anthony Williams (D) considered legalizing gay marriage, Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), then chairman of the Senate subcommittee in charge of appropriations for the District, threatened repercussions if such a measure was passed, according to the Washington Post. The good news is that, because of the Democrats’ majority in the Senate, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) has replaced Brownback as the subcommittee’s chairman. The bad news is that individual members of the Senate have a disturbing amount of power to individually kill, or at least hold up, bills if they so please.
If polls can be trusted, the Democrats stand to gain a healthy majority in the House and a sizable, though not filibuster-proof, majority in the Senate. This bodes well for the District and for the prospects of a gay marriage bill. But the Council must be especially vigilant against an unreasonable backlash from members of Congress. As long as they tread carefully, wedding bells for same-sex couples in D.C. will be ringing out in no time.
