Washington D.C mayor Adrian Fenty signed a bill on Friday that legalises same-sex marriages in the district. The bill will now enter into a 30-day review period in Congress, though many believe that the Democratic majority will not block the law. y law, Congress has the right to review and, if they so choose, overturn any measures passed by the D.C Council.
“We knew that this day would come,” Fenty said at the signing of the bill, which took place at All Souls Church in Mount Pleasant. He also added, “I say to the world: An era of struggle ends for thousands in Washington D.C. … Our city is taking a leap forward.”
The measure had already been passed by the city council on Tuesday this week, with the council voting overwhelmingly to send the measure on through to the mayor. As was expected the council’s decision and the signing has drawn mixed reactions. The Human Rights Campaign has released a statement in which it called the decision “a victory for all D.C. residents.”
“The legislation the council passed today reinforces the legal equality and religious freedoms to which all DC residents are entitled,” the group said. Meanwhile, of course, The National Organization for Marriage, a group that opposes same-sex marriage, released a statement in which it said “the fight is not over.”
“Politicians on the city council are acting as if they have the right through legislation to deprive citizens of DC of their core civil right to vote, but we will not let them get away with it,” the group said in its statement.
If Congress allows the measure to go through, Washington D.C would join Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, and Iowa as places in the United States where same-sex marriage is legal. Additionally, New Hampshire will also be joining the group when a law legalising same-sex marriage takes effect on January 1st
Now while same-sex marriage has seen its fair share of victories, it has unfortunately seen plenty of defeats. California and Maine both saw laws passed that legalized same-sex marriage, only to have the residents of those states overturn the laws through popular vote. In every state where same-sex marriage has been put to popular vote, it has been defeated.
In addition, New York State and New Jersey lawmakers have recently blocked laws that would have legalized same-sex marriage in those states.
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