District of Columbia

On December 18, 2009, Mayor Adrian Fenty signed a marriage bill which ended the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage, after it twice passed by an overwhelming majority of City Council members. As of March 3, 2010, following a Congressional Review period, same-sex couples in the District of Columbia can now apply for a marriage license. For information about how to get married in DC: Supreme Court of DC Marriage Bureau Section and District of Columbia Office of GLBT Affairs.

In 2009, the DC Council also passed and the mayor signed a bill that ensures out-of-state marriages of same-sex couples are respected and treated equally under law. The law took effect in July 2009.

In 1992, the District City Council passed a domestic partnership law, which offered a few (less than 8 of 212 in the DC code) protections and responsibilities to same-sex couples and their families, but the U.S. Congress blocked this law from taking effect until 2002. Over the years, the domestic partnership law was expanded to include all of the same protections and responsibilities that marriage provides (referred to as broad domestic partnership), but not the equality that only comes with marriage.

State advocacy groups and a very active grassroots community of supporters continue to work to protect marriage.
 
Status: Marriage
 
Groups Actively Working on Marriage 
 
Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance: a local, all-volunteer, non-partisan, non-profit political organization, fighting for the civil rights of gay men, lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders

DC for Marriage: an emerging group of local residents working towards equal rights and responsibilities for same sex couples in the District of Columbia

Blog Posts Related to

Equality Maryland Mobilizes Support from Pro-Equality Clergy

In response to an outpouring of opposition from the local Catholic Conference, as well as a big push from the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), Equality Maryland launched an ad last week with 100 signatures from clergy throughout the Free State who support marriage equality.

DC Married Couples on The Washington Post’s Live Blog

Same-sex couples were first able to apply for licenses in the District last Wednesday but, like all couples, had to follow the city's three-day waiting period before getting hitched.

Rick Imirowicz and Terrance Heath, who were married Tuesday, were online Wednesday, March 10, at 1 p.m. ET to discuss the new law in the District and what it means to them and others in the GLBT community and the nation.

The Freedom to Marry expected to create Wedding-related Jobs in D.C.

Georgetown residents Christopher Cahill and Richard Marshall consider the $75,000 wedding that they're planning for June to be their own "personal stimulus package" for the District economy. And local businesses are already seeing the dollar signs.

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Resources Related to

Frequently Asked Questions About Marriage Recognition for Same-Sex Couples in Maryland

Lambda Legal, American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Equality Maryland, and the American Civil Liberties Union: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Guide for same-sex couples in Maryland who married out of state.

FAQ about Maryland Attorney General’s Opinion on Out-of-State Marriage Licenses

Equality Maryland's answers to frequently asked questions.

Moving the Middle on Marriage:  Lessons from Maine and Washington

If advocates can successfully tap into the true spirit of marriage and convince the middle that gay couples want to get married for the same reasons that straight couples do, we think we will be able to address the middle’s remaining concerns and help move that group, and the country, more quickly towards support for marriage.