Center Blog

April is turning out to be a great month for the recognition and legalization of gay marriage across the country.  Let’s hope these decisions influence other states (and the nation as a whole) to take similar action!

From Huffington Post: Gay Marriage Vermont Rep. Jason Lorber, D-Burlington, right, gets a hug from Stan Baker following the passage of a gay marriage bill in Montpelier, Vt., Tuesday, April 7, 2009. Vermont has become the fourth state to legalize gay marriage. The state legislature voted Tuesday to override Gov. Jim Douglas' veto of a bill allowing gays and lesbians to marry. The vote was 23-5 to override in the state Senate and 100-49 to override in the House. Under Vermont law, two-thirds of each chamber had to vote for override. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot)

From Huffington Post:

Vermont on Tuesday became the fourth state to legalize gay marriage and the first to do so with a legislature’s vote.

The House recorded a dramatic 100-49 vote – the minimum needed to override Gov. Jim Douglas’ veto. Its vote followed a much easier override vote in the Senate, which rebuffed the Republican governor with a vote of 23-5.

Vermont was the first state to legalize civil unions for same-sex couples and joins Connecticut, Massachusetts and Iowa in giving gays the right to marry. Their approval of gay marriage came from the courts.

Tuesday morning’s legislative action came less than a day after Douglas issued a veto message saying the bill would not improve the lot of gay and lesbian couples because it still would not provide them rights under federal and other states’ laws.

House Speaker Shap Smith’s announcement of the vote brought an outburst of jubilation from some of the hundreds packed into the gallery and the lobby outside the House chamber, despite the speaker’s admonishment against such displays.

Among the celebrants in the lobby were former Rep. Robert Dostis, D-Waterbury, and his longtime partner, Chuck Kletecka. Dostis recalled efforts to expand gay rights dating to an anti-discrimination law passed in 1992.

“It’s been a very long battle. It’s been almost 20 years to get to this point,” Dostis said. “I think finally, most people in Vermont understand that we’re a couple like any other couple. We’re as good and as bad as any other group of people. And now I think we have a chance to prove ourselves here on forward that we’re good members of our community.”

Dostis said he and Kletecka will celebrate their 25th year together in September.

And in DC, recognition of out-of-state civil unions was passed unanimously!  From PFLAG’s blog:

Just as the Vermont legislature voted this morning to recognize full marriage equality, the nation’s capital also took a step forward for the city’s lesbian and gay couples.

The Washington Post reports that the Council “voted today to recognize gay marriages performed in other states, on the same day that Vermont became the fourth state to legalize same-sex unions.”

“Domestic partnerships are already legal in the nation’s capital, and gay couples married in other states are recognized as domestic partners when they move to the city,” The Post notes. “But today’s legislation, billed as an important milestone in gay rights, explicitly recognizes them as married couples.”

The vote was unanimous, with all 12 members of the council supporting the measure.

It is both significant and appropriate that America’s capital city has taken this giant step forward in recognizing our nation’s promise of ‘liberty and justice for all.’

Washington remains a symbol of freedom for people across the globe, and a barometer of progress here at home. The District of Columbia has long been among the most progressive and welcoming of America’s cities. Today’s vote keeps it moving in the right direction and is good news for Washington’s large and vibrant lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.