Same-sex marriage becomes legal in D.C.

March 3, 2010 | 7:24 am​

Same-sex couples can start applying for marriage licenses in Washington.​

At least 16 couples were waiting at a courthouse Wednesday for the city's marriage bureau to open at 8:30 a.m. EST. Court officials have been told to expect up to 200 people.​

Forty-one-year-old Sinjoyla Townsend and her partner of 12 years, 47-year-old Angelisa Young, claimed the first spot in line just after 6 a.m. Young says it's like waking up on Christmas morning.​

Washington is now the sixth place in the nation where gay marriages can take place. Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont also issue licenses to same-sex couples.​

Because of a mandatory waiting period, couples won't actually be able to marry in the District of Columbia until March 9.
The gay marriage law was introduced in the 13-member D.C. Council in October and had near-unanimous support from the beginning. The bill passed and Mayor Adrian M. Fenty signed it in December, but because Washington is a federal district, the law had to undergo a congressional review period that expired Tuesday.
Opponents, however, are still attempting to overturn the bill in court.​

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