Thanks to gay couples, DC marriage licenses may hit new record [video]
In the first three months of 2010, the court processed 376 applications. Since March 3 — when gay marriage became legal in the District — the marriage license office has received 2,082 applications. Based on the early numbers, the District is on target to issue four times as many marriage licenses this year as they did in 2009.
Figures collected by WTOP News about Washington’s spike in marriage applications and licenses, due primarily to the fact that DC is the first region in the area to offer legalized marriage to lesbian and gay couples. WTOP estimates that if licenses were to continue at their increased pace, that the District could see a quadupling over last year’s figures. An extra bonus for the District is an increase in revenue for victims of violent crimes, since marriage license fees go to the Court’s Crime Victim’s Compensation Fund. (WTOP)
The law, which went into effect on March 3, 2010, has been challenged at least once already and is expected to face future opposition from both local preachers groups and Congress’ socially conservatives activists. Both groups are trouncing on the Districts’ rights to “home rule” and have said that the District’s 600,000 residents do not deserve voting representatives in Congress until the Mayor and the City Council allows a public referendum to retract marriage equality for gays.
”It’s really important just legally to be recognized as a family. That’s all we want. We don’t want to change marriage. We don’t want to change the institution of marriage. We just want to join the institution of marriage.”
Kelly Collins of Columbia, MD speaking on camera with Fox5 News about her wedding to Tricia McCarthy which was scheduled to take place this weekend. It is not legal for the couple to get married in the state of Maryland at this time. However, the couple can obtain a legal marriage license and have a ceremony in Washington, DC, then, according to a recent opinion released by the Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler, their marriage should be recognized as legal when they return to Maryland. (Fox5)
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