All I Want for Christmas is Gay Marriage in D.C.

by Michael Jones · 2009-10-07 04:06:00 UTC
Topics:

Gay marriage D.C.

The City Council in Washington, D.C. saw a marriage equality bill introduced this week that if passed will make the District the next in line to recognize same-sex marriage. That could happen by the end of the year, making 2009 the official year of gay marriage.

The bill's passage is close to certainty -- or at least as close to certainty as anything gets in politics. Already ten city councilors support the bill to legalize same-sex marriage in the District, and Mayor Adrian Fenty has pledged to sign the bill.

The District's step forward for equality has some anti-gay politicians in the U.S. Congress going ballistic, among them Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah. He wants the U.S. Congress to stop debating health care, education, and War on Terror policies and get involved in the marriage debate in Washington, D.C. Maybe Rep. Chaffertz would also like every member of Congress to start doing bedroom inspections in the D.C. just to make sure only straight people are co-habitating.

Thankfully, Congress isn't showing any inclination of biting on Chaffertz's rhetoric, hinting that Congress is too damn busy working hard for their 21 percent approval rating to get involved in the marriage debate in D.C.

Or, perhaps more correctly, Congress just feels that the District can take care of its own on this issue. And if that's the case, then everyone's Christmas/Hannukah/Kwanzaa/Boxing Day/Winter Solstice present this year will be another part of the country recognizing marriage equality.

Michael Jones is a Change.org Editor. He has worked in the field of human rights communications for a decade, most recently for Harvard Law School.
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