DC Council Passes Gay Marriage Recognition Bill

[jsteele]

Congratulations to those married couples whose rights have not been fully recognized in the District. You are one step closer to equality. The DC Council just had the second reading of a bill to recognize gay marriages performed in other states. The bill was approved 12-1 with only Barry voting against it. Next step is the Mayor's office and then a 30 day review period in Congress.

Barry gave a whining defense of his position saying how supportive he is of gay rights but the ministers and constituents in his ward were very opposed to the bill. Catania asked Barry how he could call Catania a friend but then say they don't have the same rights. Barry acted insulted and was a bit bent out of shape. Yvette Alexander was very impressive. She described similar pressure as Barry, even being called "non-Christian" by some ministers, but still voted in support of the bill.

[Anonymous]

Great news. Now let's work on statehood!

[Anonymous]

Barry -- what a whiner.
Ask him what he would say to all the gay Black men deeply in the closet whose ministers believe they're all going to hell. I know someone like that and he is deeply alone.

[Anonymous]

Go DC - Congrats! Thanks for the update Jeff.

[Anonymous]

Now let's see how all the Congressional supporters of a small federal government and local rights react.

[Anonymous]

Love that DC is on the road to equality!!

Marion Barry deserves no attention whatsoever. Let him whine.

[Anonymous]

maybe it'll leak over into VA.

then again, maybe i'm delusional...

[Anonymous]

I find it shocking that black ministers were out in force to oppose this; one of them raised the threat of civil war! Is the civil rights battle so complete that these ministers have the forces to go fight against someone else's rights?

[jsteele]

Fenty says he has signed the bill (now Act). Congress has 30 days to review it. Speaker Pelosi says Congress should let it stand. One idiot Congressman from Utah says he will oppose it (also says he wouldn't support Congress deciding whether Utah should or should not recognize gay marriages). But, all in all, things look pretty good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find it shocking that black ministers were out in force to oppose this; one of them raised the threat of civil war! Is the civil rights battle so complete that these ministers have the forces to go fight against someone else's rights?

The ring leader isn't even from DC-- he's from Maryland.

Housing, jobs, education, and health care are all very expensive things for a minister to try to deliver. And you almost never get TV cameras focused on you when you try.

Thoughtless votes to take other people's rights away are cheaper, and come along with press coverage and the support of the religious right GOP. In the last administration, this was also a good way to secure faith-based funding.

Righteous and godly, is it not?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find it shocking that black ministers were out in force to oppose this; one of them raised the threat of civil war! Is the civil rights battle so complete that these ministers have the forces to go fight against someone else's rights?

I don't think it's that the black civil rights movement is done with. But sadly, even those who face discrimination are capable of it themselves. Sometimes groups find a common cause, but often they are blind to their own prejudices even as they fight against what oppresses them.