Sexy Politics: Washington, DC recognizes same-sex marriages performed in other states, effective now

July 7, 4:03 PMSex & Relationships ExaminerSarah Estrella

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Sex & Relationships Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

The U.S. Congress let its 30-day review of a marriage recognition law pass today, meaning the law passed by the Washington, DC City Council is effective today: Same-sex marriages performed in other states will now be recognized in the nation's capital.

Via The Washington Blade:

“I think there’s tremendous significance and opportunity in Americans seeing legally married gay couples treated with respect in our nation’s capital,” said Evan Wolfson, executive director of Freedom To Marry, a national same-sex marriage advocacy group.

The measure that took effect Tuesday, the Jury and Marriage Amendment Act of 2009, immediately provides the city’s same-sex couples married in other jurisdictions with more than 200 rights, benefits, and obligations associated with marriage under D.C. law.

Similar to six other U.S. states that have legalized same-sex marriage, gay and lesbian married couples in D.C. won’t be able to receive any of the more than 1,100 federal rights and benefits that come with marriage.

Federal marital rights and benefits are denied to same-sex couples under the 1996 U.S. Defense of Marriage Act.

D.C. Council member David Catania is expected to introduce a full marriage rights bill in the coming months. Masachussets, Connecticut, Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire have helped lead the way on marriage equality.