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Gay couples wed as same-sex marriage dawns on nation’s capital

Posted Tuesday, March 9, 2010, Filed under: District of Columbia

Gay marriage has arrived in nation’s capital.

Angelisa Young and Sinjoyla Townsend wed Tuesday in D.C. (Image: CNN)

Same-sex couples began marrying in Washington D.C, on Tuesday, with some lining up as early as 3:30 a.m. to pick up their licenses from D.C. Superior Court.

More than 300 same-sex couples have applied for a license since the application process began last Wednesday.

Angelisa Young, 47, and Sinjoyla Townsend, 41, were the first couple in line Wednesday to apply for a license, and were the first couple to officially wed in D.C. on Tuesday morning in a ceremony at the Human Rights Campaign headquarters in downtown Washington.

Watch their ceremony here (more…)

Tagged with: District of Columbia • Gay Marriage • HRC • Washington DC
 
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Dozens apply for licenses as gay marriage becomes legal in Washington D.C.

Posted Wednesday, March 3, 2010, Filed under: District of Columbia

At least 50 same-sex couples lined up to apply for marriage licenses when city offices opened Wednesday as gay marriage became legal in the nation’s capital.

Gwen Migita, left, and Cuc Vu, at D.C. SUperior Court Wednesday to apply for a marriage license. (Washington Post photo.)

Cheering erupted from the crowd when the first couple signed in at the city’s marriage bureau just blocks from the U.S. Capitol.

By just before noon Wednesday, about 100 couples had come to the bureau, and about 40 had completed applications. Each couple is leaving the bureau to a round of applause from the crowd.

Because of a mandatory waiting period of three business days, however, couples won’t actually be able to marry in the District of Columbia until Tuesday. (more…)

Tagged with: District of Columbia • Gay Marriage • Washington DC
 
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Archdiocese Of Washington ends spousal benefits, citing gay marriage law

Posted Tuesday, March 2, 2010, Filed under: District of Columbia

The Archdiocese of Washington has changed its employee health care policy in the latest fallout from the District’s decision to legalize same-sex marriage.

As of Tuesday, Catholic Charities will no longer offer benefits to spouses of new employees or to spouses of current employees who are not already enrolled in the plan.

Under the District’s new same-sex marriage law, if companies and organizations offer benefits to spouses of its employees, those benefits now must be extended to the spouses of employees in same sex unions.

Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl said Tuesday that the decision by Catholic Charities to change its health coverage to avoid offering benefits to same-sex spouses of its workers is justifiable under Catholic teaching as long as the employees are paid a just wage. (more…)

Tagged with: Benefits • Catho • District of Columbia • Gay Marriage • Washington DC
 
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U.S. Supreme Court refuses to block D.C. gay marriage; law to take effect Wednesday

Posted Tuesday, March 2, 2010, Filed under: District of Columbia

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a request late today to block the District of Columbia’s gay marriage law from taking effect on Wednesday.

Opponents of the law had asked the Supreme Court to step in and issue a temporary delay so they could hold a city-wide referendum on the issue before the law took effect.

Chief Justice John Roberts released an opinion refusing to put the law on hold, reaffirming the D.C. Board of Elections, the city’s superior court and its court of appeals rulings, all of which previously rejected opponent’s request for a referendum.

The elections board has refused to put gay marriage on the ballot, ruling it would violate the city’s Human Rights Act, designed to protect gays and lesbians and other minority groups from discrimination.

Roberts said the Supreme Court’s practice has been to defer to local court decisions on District of Columbia matters of exclusive local concern and said he saw no reason for the Supreme Court to step into such a local matter involving the referendum process. (more…)

Tagged with: District of Columbia • Gay Marriage • John Roberts • U.S. Supreme Court • Washington DC
 
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D.C. gay marriage opponents ask Supreme Court to block same-sex unions

Posted Monday, March 1, 2010, Filed under: District of Columbia

Opponents of gay marriage have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to put a hold on the District of Columbia’s new law allowing same-sex couples to wed.

The Associated Press reports that court papers filed Monday with Chief Justice John Roberts argue that D.C. residents should be able to vote on the matter.

On three prior occasions, the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics has rejected efforts to put gay marriage on the ballot, ruling that such a measure would violate the city’s Human Rights Act that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation.

On Friday, a District of Columbia appeals court Friday unanimously rejected the latest attempt to block the city from legalizing same-sex marriages next month.

To date, the U.S. Congress has declined to take action against the gay marrige bill. Because the capital city is a federal district, Congress has final say over its laws.

If the Supreme Court refuses to block the measure, gay couples in D.C. can begin applying for marriage licenses as early as Wednesday.

Tagged with: District of Columbia • Gay Marriage • Gay Rights • U.S. Supreme Court • Washington DC
 
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