WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court refused on Tuesday to block the District of Columbia’s gay-marriage law, freeing the city to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples starting today.
Opponents of gay marriage in the nation’s capital had asked Chief Justice John Roberts to stop the city from issuing the licenses while they appealed. They argued that D.C. voters should have been allowed to vote on the issue. Local courts have rejected the opponents’ arguments.
“It has been the practice of the court to defer to the decisions of the courts of the District of Columbia on matters of exclusively local concern,” Roberts wrote for the court.
He also pointed out that Congress could have voted to stop the city government from putting the law into effect and didn’t.
Opponents have asked city courts to allow a voter referendum on gay marriage, and they “will have the right to challenge any adverse decision . . . in this court at the appropriate time,” Roberts said.
The Stand4MarriageDC Coalition said Tuesday that it was disappointed but would continue to work for the effort among voters who believe in traditional marriage only.
The city has said today probably will be the first day same-sex couples can apply for marriage licenses under the new law, which was passed in December. Couples still will have to wait three full business days for their licenses before exchanging vows.
Same-sex marriages are also legal in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Iowa, Connecticut and Vermont.
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