D.C. approves marriage equality

The D.C. City Council passed a measure legalizing marriage equality – making the nation’s capital the first jurisdiction below the Mason-Dixon Line to allow such unions.

The NY Times says, “The bill, which passed by an 11-to-2 vote, may still face obstacles in Congress, among city voters and in the courts, but most advocates of same-sex marriage say they expect it to become law by spring. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty has said he will sign the bill.”

‘Today’s vote is an important victory not only for the gay and lesbian community but for everyone who supports equal rights,’ said Councilman David A. Catania, an independent and the author of the bill.

D.C. already recognizes same-sex marriages performed in states where they are legal: Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts and Vermont. New Hampshire will begin allowing same-sex marriage early next year.

Republicans and conservative Democrats in the House, which oversees the District of Columbia’s budget, are considering a variety of legislative methods to block the bill – but Democrats who support the measure can probably prevent that.