Gay marriage supporters have to be overcome with joy after the nation’s capital voted to legalize gay marriage!
The bill, introduced by gay city councilman David Catania, was signed into law by Mayor Adrian Fenty and is expected to go into effect around St. Patrick’s Day.
Most members of D.C.’s city council voted in favor of the move, with two votes opposed; one of which came from none other than former mayor turned city councilman, Marion Berry.
Gay rights activists are expected to use this momentum to gain other victories in other arenas after taking serious defeats in New York, New Jersey, and Maine.
Opponents of the new measure, such as the Archdiocese of Washington, are prepared to keep fighting against a move that they see as the end of traditional family values and a precursor to the downfall of society.
Like all laws made in Washington, approval by way of vote by Congress must take place before any new ruling can become official. Gay marriage detractors know that fact very well, and leaders such as Bishop Harry Jackson have been urging Congress to stop the bill in its tracks.
Members of Stand4Marriage, a group in favor of marriage in its traditional sense, have appealed to a district elections board with hopes that a referendum would be put on the ballot so that the people can have a say in the matter, with group attorney Cleta Mitchell noting that the law is a “decision for the people, not a dozen people at city hall.”
Congress has not shown a willingness to vote the bill down, but, a referendum vote is likely to take place. Statistics show that gay marriage supporters could be looking at another defeat if the bill is allowed to be voted on by the liberally conservative denizens of Washington D.C.
