Michael Crawford: DC Should Push for Marriage Equality

The Washington Blade included the following letter to the editor from Michael Crawford in this week's paper:

The opinion of one person — such as Rick Rosendall — should not be taken as representing the larger community’s feeling on marriage equality.

There is a large and soon-to-be vocal group in our community whose members see marriage as a priority for D.C. residents that the Gay & Lesbian Activists Alliance does not represent. GLAA and Rosendall have done good things in the past. Their past efforts are much appreciated, but as we move forward, it’s imperative to consider the large number of people whose opinions have not been taken into account.

The gay residents of the District deserve full and equal marriage rights and we should not have to wait decades for that to happen, nor should our future be decided by one person. It is critical that we find a smart and focused way of moving forward that brings together members of the gay community rather than divides us.

Supporters of Marriage Equality in DC

Mayor's Office
Mayor Adrian Fenty	statement | posts
City Council
Kwame Brown	statement | posts
Muriel Bowser	statement | posts
Michael Brown	statement | posts
David Catania	statement | posts
Mary Cheh	statement | posts
Jack Evans	statement | posts
Jim Graham	statement | posts
Vincent Gray	statement | posts
Phil Mendelson	statement | posts
Harry Thomas Jr.	statement | posts
Tommy Wells	statement | posts
DC Organizations
Gay & Lesbian Activist Alliance	statement | posts
DC for Democracy
SMYAL
If your organizations supports marriage equality in the District of Columbia, please let us know, and your name will be included here.

These DC Couples are Still Waiting for Marriage Equality

May 17th, 2004 will go down in history as the day marriage licenses were first issued to couples in the state of Massachusetts. What you might not know, however, is that it is also a historical day for the District of Columbia. On that day, for the first time ever, six brave couples went to the DC Courthouse to request marriage licenses asking two very simple questions. Why not us? Why not now?

They were a diverse group of individuals. The oldest couple was in their sixties, and the youngest couple was in their twenties. Both male and female couples; African American, Latino, and White; wealthy couples and not-so-wealthy.

We had a rally on the steps of the courhouse that day. And then we had a celebration to mark the occasion (complete with a wedding cake) at Cobalt.

Groups like the GLAA weren't supportive of this effort. They were focused on (and have done good work on) domestic partnership legislation in DC. But on that particular day, the day Marriage Licenses were issued in Massachusetts, I'm proud that some of us stood up right here and said we want nothing less than full equality in the District.

These couples were denied the right to marry in the District of Columbia. They are still waiting.