This morning at a ceremony at D.C.’s All Souls Unitarian Church (whose minister Rev. Rob Hardies is co-chair of Clergy United for Marriage Equality), Mayor Adrian Fenty signed the marriage equality bill, flanked by members of the Council. In remarks, the Mayor praised the step as one that follows in the long march toward equality for all people and pointed out that the nation’s capital is now a beacon for the world in how it treats its LGBT citizens.
HRC President Joe Solmonese (left) with Mayor Fenty
Also speaking at the event were Rev. Hardies, Council Chairman Vincent Gray and Councilmembers David Catania (the bill’s lead sponsor), Jim Graham and Phil Mendelson.
Because of the District’s unique status, the bill now goes to Congress for a 30 legislative day review period. Barring Congressional intervention, the bill will become law after that period. For more on the question of what’s next, see our post, “Marriage Equality in DC – The Road Ahead.”
Mayor Fenty and Councilmembers celebrate signing
At this time, five states recognize marriage for same-sex couples under state law: Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont and New Hampshire (effective January 1, 2010). New York recognizes marriages by same-sex couples legally entered into in another jurisdiction. Five states — California, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington, and Nevada — provide same-sex couples with access to the state level benefits and responsibilities of marriage, through either civil unions or domestic partnerships.
Hawaii, Colorado, Maine, Maryland and Wisconsin provide same-sex couples with limited rights and benefits. California recognized marriage by same-sex couples between June and November of 2008, before a slim majority of voters approved Proposition 8, which purports to amend the state constitution to prohibit marriage equality. Couples married during that window remain married under California law, but all other same-sex couples can only receive a domestic partnership within the state. The state will recognize out of state same-sex marriages that occurred before November 5, 2008 as marriages and those that occurred on or after November 5, 2008 as domestic partnerships. The Prop. 8 vote has been challenged in federal court; a decision is not expected any time soon.
Same-sex couples do not receive federal rights and responsibilities anywhere in the United States. To learn more about state by state legislation, visit: www.hrc.org/state_laws.
All photos © Sarah Warbelow / HRC
![HRC-BACKSTORY [BLOG]](http://174.121.110.138/~hrcorg/hrcbackstory/images/logo/hrc-backstory.jpg){kind=logo}
