Washington, D.C., joined four states in legalizing same-sex marriage yesterday as its City Council passed the measure, 11-2.
“Today’s vote is an important victory not only for the gay and lesbian community but for everyone who supports equal rights,” D.C. Councilman David A. Catania told reporters.
The measure could face a challenge, though, from both religious opponents and conservatives in the U.S. House, which controls Washington’s municipal budget.
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty is expected to sign the measure before Christmas, and it will go into law in the spring, as long as it survives a 30-day legislative review period, The Washington Post reported.
“In many ways, this is the final prize,” council member Jim Graham, one of two openly gay members, told the Post.
