In December, by a vote of 11-2, the Washington DC city council (which is the ruling body of our nation’s capital) determined that same-sex marriage will be legal in the District of Columbia and would go into effect in March of 2010. Just last week, in preparation for DC’s legalization of same-sex marriage, the State of Maryland determined that it would recognize the rights and privileges of same-sex couples who are legally married in the US as they would any legally married heterosexual couple. In a last ditch effort to halt the progress of marriage equality in DC, opponents petitioned the Supreme Court to intercede and stop today’s legalization of same-sex marriage … but the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, John Roberts, rejected the request from opponents to stop the law from going into effect:

Chief Justice John Roberts of the Supreme Court rejected on Tuesday a request from opponents of gay marriage to put on hold a new law that allows same-sex couples to wed in Washington, D.C. Roberts acted right before the law takes effect on Wednesday. In December, the city council adopted a measure which adds the nation’s capital to the five states that already allow same-sex marriage. Opponents of gay marriage argued there should be a public referendum on the law, which expands the definition of marriage to include same-sex couples, before it takes effect. Roberts refused to put the law on hold and said the local Board of Elections, the city’s superior court and its court of appeals all had rejected the request for a referendum. Roberts said the Supreme Court’s practice has been to defer to local court decisions on District of Columbia matters of exclusive local concern. Roberts also said the U.S. Congress has allowed the law to go into effect.

And with that last failed bid to hinder the law from going into effect, same-sex couples are now able TODAY to apply for marriage licenses in the capital of the United States of America:

Same-sex couples can start applying for marriage licenses Wednesday in Washington. Supporters say couples planned to line up before the city’s marriage bureau opened at 8:30 a.m., and some officials were expecting 200 or more people. Washington will be the sixth place in the nation where gay marriages can take place. Because of a mandatory waiting period, however, couples won’t actually be able to marry in the District of Columbia until March 9. Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont currently issue licenses to same-sex couples. The city’s Moultrie courthouse, which houses the marriage bureau, is just blocks from the U.S. Capitol. To deal with the crowd expected Wednesday, the marriage bureau will bring in temporary employees to help its regular staff, courthouse spokeswoman Leah Gurowitz said. “Everybody who wants a marriage license is going to get one. It may take a little longer, but they will get their license,” Gurowitz said. To prepare for Wednesday, the marriage bureau has changed its license applications so they are gender-neutral, asking for the name of each “spouse” rather than the “bride” and “groom.” And at civil marriage ceremonies to be performed in the courthouse, a booklet for the official performing the marriage now reads, “I now pronounce you legally married” instead of “I now pronounce you man and wife.” A marriage license application costs $35, and the marriage license $10. Couples who are already registered as domestic partners in the city can convert their registration into a marriage license by paying the $10 fee. Supporters expected the day to be festive. A District of Columbia councilman who introduced the gay marriage bill planned to hand out boxes of vanilla and chocolate cupcakes to the first 200 couples in line. Terrance Heath, 41, planned to be at the courthouse with his partner, Rick Imirowicz, 43. The two have been together for 10 years and have a 7-year-old and a 2-year-old, but Heath said Wednesday feels like “a step forward.” “My husband has always been my husband to me, but having that legal recognition, that legal protection, makes it easier to deal with any number of situations,” said Heath, a writer and blogger. “If you tell people you’re married, you don’t really have to explain much beyond that.” The two, who live in Maryland, plan to marry on March 9, the first day possible.

This is a happy, very important day for the US. While same-sex couples cannot actually marry in Washington DC until March 9, they are able to apply for their marriage licenses starting today in preparation for those weddings that can legally take place starting next Tuesday! I’m still boggled that Washington DC, the capital of the United States of America, has legalized same-sex marriage and, yet, the majority of the country still outlaws the practice. Still, this is an important move forward. I am convinced I will see marriage equality come to the whole US in my lifetime … but I will fondly remember the brave first 6 places in the US — namely Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire and the District of Columbia — that forged the way for true liberty and justice for all in this country! Yay!!

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