How sad! The District of Columbia has now become the sixth jurisdiction in
the USA were gay and lesbian "marriages" are legal. What an utter shame for
the nation! If the political heart of the nation has now fallen, how will
this tragic development reverberate throughout the rest of the nation? There
is obviously a lot of symbolism in this development. This is an affront to
God and His Holy Laws! Why do these foolish people continue to defy the
Lord, and basically beg for His righteous judgments?


D.C. Issues First Gay-Marriage Licenses

Monica Martinez and Joseph Weber - The Washington Times

March 3, 2010


The District of Columbia on Wednesday began issuing marriage licenses to
same-sex couples, following a last-minute U.S. Supreme Court decision not to
address the issue.

The District now becomes the sixth jurisdiction in the United States to
issue such licenses to same-sex couples -- joining Connecticut, Iowa,
Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont. Weddings cannot be performed in
Washington until Tuesday because of a mandatory waiting period.

"Our mood is absolute jubilation," Darlene Garner said outside the Moultrie
Courthouse, blocks from the Capitol and the White House. She and partner
Candy Holmes were among the first in line to apply for a license.

"The accomplishment of today is that finally I'm able to marry the love of
my life," added Ms. Garner, who plans to wed Tuesday.

The 13-member D.C. Council voted in December in favor of the Marriage
Equality Act.

The vote was 11-2, with the council's two openly gay members -- David A.
Catania, at-large independent, and Jim Graham, Ward 1 Democrat, voting yes.
Council members Marion Barry, Ward 8 Democrat, and Yvette Alexander, Ward 7
Democrat, voted no. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, a Democrat, promptly signed the
bill.

Opponents of same-sex marriages have tried several ways to stop the
legislation, including the appeal to the Supreme Court for a temporary
injunction. They said D.C. residents should vote on the legislation, not the
council.

Late Tuesday, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. issue what the high court
calls an "in chambers opinion" -- a measure to address eleventh-hour
requests and written by the justice who presides over the courts from which
the case started.

He said voters will have the right to challenge the legislation in D.C.
courts and pointed out that Congress declined to stop the law from taking
effect.

"This argument has some force," Justice Roberts wrote in the three-page
opinion regarding the case Jackson v. District of Columbia Board of
Elections and Ethics. "However, I conclude that a stay is not warranted. ...
It has been the practice of the court to defer to the decisions of the
courts of the District of Columbia on matters of exclusively local
concerns."

The D.C. Court of Appeals last week unanimously rejected the case.

The judges' one-page opinion provided only the legal basis for their
decision: that a temporary injunction is granted only when the plaintiff
likely would win the case or when allowing something to go forward would
bring harm to the plaintiff.

Republicans in Congress have said they lacked the votes to oppose the
legislation successfully.

D.C. churches are exempt from having to perform same-sex wedding ceremonies.
But the bill does not have the support of the Catholic Archdiocese of
Washington, which has concerns about the cost of Catholic Charities having
to extend services to spouses in same-sex marriages.

Same-sex marriage was approved last year in California, but the law later
was struck down by a voter referendum.

Angelisa Young, 47, and Sinjoyla Townsend, 41, were the first couple in line
Tuesday to apply for a marriage license. They arrived at the courthouse at 6
a.m.

"No matter where I go in the world now, when I say 'I'm married' somebody
else will truly understand exactly what I'm talking about," Ms. Young said.
"It's not gay, it's not lesbian, it's just a human right of being able to
share love and enjoy each other. That's basically all we're asking for and
we got it today."

Ms. Young and Ms. Townsend will be married at the Human Rights Campaign
building in Washington, D.C., in a non-denominational service Tuesday. They
have been together for 12 years.



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