Washingtonians Weigh in on Gay Marriage Debate

Gay marriage debate in District moves from lawmakers to the people

The heated debate on gay marriage rights in the District has moved from lawmakers to the people.

Across the District this week, forums for debate have shifted from the public spotlight to individual wards, where residents are expressing their beliefs on one of the most controversial issues in the country.

A few weeks ago, the D.C. Council voted to recognize gay marriages performed in other states. Tuesday night, Democrats from Ward 6 met to consider taking the legislation a step further, voting for a referendum to call on Mayor Adrian Fenty and the D.C. Council to support gay marriage in Washington. The referendum pledges, in part, "to do all that is necessary to institute full marriage equality with all deliberate speed."

The overwhelming majority in attendance at the meeting in Southeast supported the measure.

"This is about human rights," D.C. resident Jeff Richardson told the attendees Tuesday. "This is about affirming the civil rights of LGBT people in the District of Columbia to have our relationships be acknowledged."

But lifelong D.C. resident Phyllis Anderson disagrees.

"I believe in the lord and savior Jesus Christ, and his word says marriage is between a man and a woman; not a man and a man; not a woman and a woman," she said. 

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Anderson was the only person in the room to speak against the referendum, a measure to which she fervently objects.

"I'm so passionate. My whole body is about to break. I feel it to my feet. I really am upset about this," Anderson said.

Tuesday night's discussion and vote localizes an ongoing debate happening in cities and towns across America. What first passed in Iowa has since spread to five other states, where same sex couples now have or will soon have the same rights as heterosexual couples.

Attendees at Tuesday's meeting said the District should have played the role of trendsetter in this national debate.

"This being the nation's capital, we feel like the precedent should have been set here," Nicolus Taft McCoy said, "but we're not too late to make sure the rest of the nation and world sees we're on the right track."

Ward 6 voted overwhelmingly in favor of legalizing gay marriage. That vote is the latest in a string of votes scheduled for the next month. So far, only Ward 5 has voted against the referendum. Two more wards have yet to discuss the measure.

The votes are not legally binding, but supporters hope they will send a strong message to council members and the Mayor about the sentiments of Washingtonians.

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