Same-sex couples marry in Washington D.C.

Same-sex marriages began taking place in Washington, D.C., March 9.

Gay couples had started applying for marriage licenses on March 3 but, like everyone else, had to wait three full business days before receiving their licenses.

Three of the first weddings took place inside the offices of the Human Rights Campaign.

The D.C. Council legalized same-sex marriage in an 11-2 vote Dec. 15 and Mayor Adrian Fenty signed the bill Dec. 18. The measure then moved to Congress for a review period of 30 “legislative” days. It did not encounter any opposition there.

Just before the law took effect, anti-gay activists tried to get the U.S. Supreme Court to issue a stay against it.

Chief Justice John Roberts rejected the petition, saying the Supreme Court defers to D.C. courts “on matters of exclusively local concern.” He also said Congress could have stopped the law’s coming into force “but Congress has chosen not to act.”

Same-sex marriage also is legal in Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont; in Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, Spain and Sweden; and in Mexico City and Argentina’s Tierra del Fuego province. It is expected to become legal shortly in Portugal.

By Rex Wockner