DC Council Approves Gay Marriage; Confused or Drunk, Marion Barry Asks for Vote Back

After an emotional debate, the D.C. Council gave final approval Tuesday to legislation that recognizes same-sex marriages performed elsewhere.

The vote is considered the first step toward eventually allowing gay marriages to be performed in Washington. Congress, which has final say over the city’s laws, will get 30 days to review the bill assuming Democratic Mayor Adrian Fenty, a supporter, signs it.

If Congress takes no action, the bill will become law automatically. President Barack Obama and congressional leaders have not signaled where they stand on the D.C. bill. Obama generally supports civil unions but has said marriage is between a man and a woman.

“The march toward equality is coming to this country, and you can either be a part of it or stand in the way,” said David Catania, one of two openly gay D.C. Council members.

Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Iowa already allow gay marriage and lawmakers in several other states are considering whether to do the same. New York recognizes gay marriages performed in other states.

The D.C. Council vote was 12-to-1, with former Mayor Marion Barry casting the lone opposing vote. Barry, a longtime supporter of the gay community, called it an “agonizing and difficult decision” that he made after praying and consulting with his constituents and the religious community.

Gay-marriage supporters greeted the vote with applause, but they were outnumbered at city hall by outraged opponents, including many black ministers.

Marion Barry originally voted for gay marriage but quickly sobered up and asked to change it to become the lone nay vote on the council:

After the D.C. Council voted unanimously to recognize same-sex marriages Tuesday morning, Councilman Marion Barry asked for his vote back, according to Washington Post reporter Tim Craig.

Apparently Mayor for Life, an opponent of the legislation, voted yea without knowing what he was voting on, but he woke up in time to ask that the bill be reconsidered, and the debate that was expected took place, to the relief of all the council members who wanted their two cents on the matter on record.

After an emotional debate, a second vote was taken, and it passed 12-1 with Barry as the lone opponent. Now it’s up to Congress, which has final say over the city’s laws and will subject the bill to a 30-day review after Mayor Adrian Fenty signs it as expected.

D.C. is almost 99% Democrat, but that does not necessarily that they are supportive of gay marriage…

The majority-black district is overwhelmingly Democratic, but public support for gay marriage is unclear. Exit polls in California indicated about seven in 10 black voters there weighed in against gay marriage in a November vote.

Don’t forget that there are many Hispanics who live in D.C. as well (similarly California) and they too oppose gay marriage because of their strong catholic backgrounds.

However, leave it to the liberals to lay the blame elsewhere, as they did in California.  They complained, berated, and shouted down Mormons; although the overwhelming majority who voted against gay marriage, were minorities.

The Rev. Anthony Evans, a pastor at Mount Zion Baptist Church in Washington, vowed to make sure the legislation dies in Congress and said he will work to unseat every D.C. Council member who voted for it.

“They just kissed their political careers goodbye,” he said.

The congressional review could be the new Congress’ first opportunity to signal its appetite for re-examining the Defense of Marriage Act, which bars federal recognition of same-sex marriages and allows states to do the same.

U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., who is openly gay, said he expects Congressional opponents of gay marriage to rally to repeal the city’s decision, but doubts they’ll get very far.

“For this to be overturned, it’d have to pass both houses and be signed by the president, and that’s highly unlikely,” Frank said.

An overflow crowd filled city hall ahead of the vote, and more than 100 opponents from churches in the Washington region held a rally across the street on Freedom Plaza. Among them was the Rev. Derek McCoy from the Hope Christian Church in Beltsville, Md.

“Once you redefine marriage, you redefine family,” he said.

So at any point will politicians and judges actually practice some type of federalism or give up some power and control to allow their constituents the decision/vote on issues that will affect their lives and surroundings?  If the locale or state votes in favor then so be it but, if not then it does not become law.  Can we please use our Constitution which has allowed us to get as far as we have as a country?

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