Battle Over Gay Marriage in DC Moves to Court

Group trying to stop gay marriage in DC

The battle over same-sex marriage in D.C. took another turn.

A group that is opposed to gay marriage in Washington filed paperwork with the Board of Elections and Ethics Wednesday to try to put a referendum on the ballot. Previous attempts have been unsuccessful.

The group Stand4MarriageDC Coalition is asking the D.C. Superior Court to order the Board of Elections and Ethics to allow their "Marriage Initiative of 2009" on the ballot. The group wants to begin gathering signatures of voters to force the issue.
 
The D.C. City Council passed a bill in December that would let gay couples marry. Mayor Adrian Fenty signed the bill into law, but because the city is a federal district, the law is currently pending a review period by Congress.
 
Congress is not expected to change the bill, which could mean gay couples would be able to wed in the District by March.
 
New Hampshire, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts and Vermont are the only states that currently allow same-sex marriage.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
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