WASHINGTON — A bill that would allow same-sex couples to marry in the nation’s capital was introduced Tuesday, a measure that even opponents acknowledged seems almost unstoppable.
The bill was nearly certain to pass the District of Columbia City Council, but whether it becomes law is more complicated because Congress gets an opportunity to review D.C. legislation before it takes effect.
The move comes as thousands of gay-rights advocates are preparing to rally again in the nation’s capital Sunday for the National Equality March. Organizers are seeking from President Barack Obama a bill to outlaw job discrimination based on gender, a law that would treat attacks on gays as federal hate crimes, and a presidential order allowing gays to serve openly in the military.
Opponents in Congress of same-sex marriage acknowledged the D.C. bill was likely to become law.
The city began in July recognizing same-sex marriages performed elsewhere. Congress had a chance to act on that legislation but didn’t.
U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz, a Republican from Utah who said he would work to defeat the new bill, anticipates that will happen again with the proposal. A spokesman for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she believed it was a matter for D.C. to decide.
D.C. Councilman David Catania introduced the new measure at a standing-room-only council meeting. The independent and one of two openly gay council members said he hopes for a vote in December.
“There is no question that we are about to embark on an exciting journey here in the district,” he said.
His bill specifically says religious leaders and institutions are not required to perform the marriages or rent their space for same-sex ceremonies unless they let the public use or rent them.
If the bill becomes law, the city will follow Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa and Vermont, which issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. New Hampshire will begin issuing them in January.
The legislature in Maine also has passed a same-sex marriage bill, but voters will decide in November whether to reverse it.
California briefly issued licenses before voters passed a law stopping the practice.
In D.C., the bill was co-introduced by 10 of the City Council’s 13 members and has the support of the mayor.
If Congress blocked the bill, it would be rare. In the past 25 years, Congress has rejected only three pieces of legislation.
According the U.S. Census Bureau, there were about 3,500 same-sex couples living together in the city in 2008, though the number has a wide margin of error. D.C. has 600,000 residents.
