Washington, D.C. as the Silver Lining for Marriage Equality Activists

This Tuesday will mark the second vote that Washington, D.C.'s City Council is scheduled to take on the issue of marriage equality. Two weeks ago, the D.C. City Council voted 11-2 to allow the seat of the U.S. federal government to recognize same-sex marriages. The vote on Tuesday is scheduled to follow the same trajectory, 11-2. Rinse, wash, repeat.

But same-sex marriage in D.C. is not quite a slam dunk yet. As Mario or Luigi might ad-lib, despite the fact that we've won a few rounds, our princess is in another castle. What happens next after D.C.'s City Council votes on Tuesday?

Well, first and foremost the mayor, Adrian Fenty, has to sign it. He has said he will. *Phew*

Then we have to make sure that the U.S. Congress doesn't get its knickers in a tether over same-sex marriage. They shouldn't. U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has previously said that the Congress has more important fish to fry than wading into the waters of whether two people who love each other should have the right to get married in D.C.

After that, opponents of same-sex marriage might pull some legal tricks to try and delay the move. But if marriage equality activists can fend that off, which seems likely, D.C. will close out 2009 (or start 2010, depending on your perspective) as a silver lining for marriage equality activists who saw two serious recent setbacks in Maine and New York.

U.S. News and World Report writer Dan Gilgoff has a piece up that calls D.C. a victory for advocates of marriage equality activists. Yes, there's some religious opposition in the District, mostly fueled by a Bishop whose followers live outside of the city. But an 11-2 vote is pretty dramatic, and a mayor willing to follow the courage of his convictions is even more impressive.

So, too, is the work of groups like D.C. for Marriage, who have shaped this debate and helped drawn out oodles and oodles of activists into the streets and into City Council meetings to express their support for equal rights.

After the first vote passed City Council, Councilor David Catania -- the lead sponsor of the bill known as "The Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Equality Amendment of 2009" -- said that despite religious opposition to the bill, there's a way to both balance civil rights and respect for religious folks that aren't too keen on LGBT folks tying the knot.

"I have always believed that our public space is large enough to accommodate and respect religious freedoms while ensuring civil equality under the law for all citizens. This bill successfully balances these requirements," Catania said.

True that, Catania. What a year it has been for marriage equality. From Iowa to D.C., with New Hampshire and Vermont in between. That's a nice marriage equality sandwich.

If the vote moves forward in D.C. on Tuesday, consider the District the Neosporin to the open sores left by New York and Maine. Defeats are stinging; but victories are healing.

(Photo courtesy of mjoneschange's photostream on Flickr.)