Headlines around the country last week heralded actions taken by the state supreme court of Iowa and the Vermont state legislature that legalized same-sex marriages. Though its actions received less national coverage, the D.C. .Council unanimously passed a bill that legally recognizes same-sex couples married in other states. This is a promising step forward for the District, but following recent national developments, it is time for the D.C. Council to push ahead for legalization of same-sex marriages.
It has become clear that the national mood is changing, and that Americans are much more receptive to same-sex marriages than they have ever been. It was only five years ago that 11 states passed ballot initiatives banning same-sex marriages, initiatives that many say were responsible for the increased turnout of social conservatives, a phenomenon which helped lead to the re-election of George W. Bush. The tide appears to have turned.
Now, after a slew of court decisions legalizing same-sex marriages in a handful of states, Vermont has become the first state to legalize gay marriage through the legislative process, a move that seriously undercuts opponents’ arguments about “activist judges.”
Given the District’s history, D.C. should be helping to lead the same-sex marriage charge and remain among the leaders of civil rights movement. The city currently has domestic partnership protections, but by their very nature these protections imply that same-sex couples are not equal to heterosexual couples.
In the past, many proponents of same-sex marriage feared angering Congress by passing a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage, but a Democratic Congress and White House mean that there is more support for this initiative than at any time in the recent past. And thanks to home rule, the most that Congress can do is prevent the funding of a bill passed by the Council; they have yet to actually reverse a law.
Recognizing same-sex marriages performed in other states is a positive step, but the council must follow up this action with the full legalization of same-sex marriages within the District. Following on the heels of the Vermont legislature, other states are now looking to pass same-sex marriage legalization bills, most notably New York. As the nation’s capitol and a historically liberal city, D.C. must remain at the forefront of this new wave of civil liberties.
