DC Marriage Equality Law Signed

12/18/09-by Paula Brooks
800px-Wilsonbldg In front of a crowd of some 150 spectators, Washington DC Mayor Adrian M. Fenty has signed the bill legalizing same-sex marriage in the District of Columbia, clearing the way for the law to take effect in mid-spring after a congressional review period.

Mayor Fenty signed the measure at All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church.

“We knew this day would come,” Fenty said. “I say to the world: An era of struggle ends for thousands in Washington, D.C. . . . Our city is taking a leap forward.”

The National Organization for Marriage, which opposes same-sex marriage, said in a statement “the fight is not over.”

“Politicians on the city council are acting as if they have the right through legislation to deprive citizens of D.C. of their core civil right to vote, but we will not let them get away with it,” said Brian Brown, the organization’s executive director.

“We will go to Congress, we will go to the courts, we will fight for the people’s right to vote,” he said.

Opposition to the legislation also came from the Catholic Church’s Archdiocese of Washington, which has said the law cause it to restrict the church’s Catholic Charities in providing services to the cities poor and homeless, and have threatened to end those rather than comply with the measure’s requirements to not discriminate against LGBT couples.

While some in congress, such as Utah’s Jason Chaffez and Ohio’s Jim Jordan have thrown their lot in with the opposition and said they will they will try to trip up marriage equality in the House, other legislators had words of congratulation for DC.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York said from her Twitter account… “I’m thrilled Mayor Fenty has signed DC marriage equality bill. Congress now gets 30-day review. Let it be law!”

Photo via Wikipedia