D.C. to recognize same-sex marriages starting today

D.C. to recognize same-sex marriages starting today

Washington D.C. will recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states starting today. In May of this year, council passed the measure by a vote of 12-1. Councilman Marion Barry was the only person who opposed.

As was expected, the decision caused an outrage among many anti-gay groups. One of those groups included African American ministers who caused such a raucous that they had to be cleared out of council chambers by local police.

Following the vote, Barry warned that the decision could have serious repercussions.

"All hell is going to break lose," Barry said. "We may have a civil war. The black community is just adamant against this."

Although another civil war hasn’t erupted, many in the black community are enraged.
Bishop Harry Jackson, organizer of the anti-gay group Stand 4 Marriage DC believes the decision made is a “declaration of war.”

In June, an open community forum was held that allowed for opinions, no matter how negative or nasty, to be given.

Minister Leroy Swailes, who is believed to own the anti-gay website thirdgender666.com, believes that some forms of discrimination are positive.

“Me as a black man, when they discriminated against me, I came out of my mother’s womb, like I didn’t have a choice, that was a negative discrimination. If you discriminate against a homosexual, that’s a positive.”

Congress had 30 days to review the bill- 30 days has since expired. Recognizing same-sex marriages is considered to be the first step in the process of eventually allowing same-sex marriages to be performed in D.C.

States that allow same-sex marriage include Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire.