03.11.10 07:01 PM
Tuesday was the first day that same-sex couples were allowed to marry in Washington, D.C., and opponents of the new law are already vowing to fight to overturn it.
The measure known as the Marriage Equality Act was signed by D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty last December after the city council passed it. It then went through a review period during which Congress declined to intervene and the Supreme Court, as well as lower courts, rejected attempts to block it.
Supporters of the law hailed it as a step towards winning an important freedom for gay people nationwide.
However, Evan Wolfson, executive director of Freedom to Marry, pointed to recent setbacks of similar legislation in California and Maine, and said that "those of us impatient for the day when America no longer excludes committed couples from marriage have to redouble our efforts."
In fact, he is likely to face tough opposition as activists have vowed to force a ballot initiative to overturn the law, saying they believe city residents, and not just the council, should have a chance to vote on the issue.
Moreover, the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington, which does not support same-sex marriages, has announced it will no longer extend job benefits to employee spouses not already enrolled, according to
The Washington Post.
D.C. joins Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont in allowing same-sex couples to marry.
http://www.personalliberty.com/news/...-law-19659770/ 
