by Rex Wockner
The U.S. Supreme Court on Jan. 18 refused to hear an appeal by anti-gays hoping to force a voter referendum on the law that legalized same-sex marriage in the District of Columbia.
"For almost two years, the National Organization for Marriage and the Alliance Defense Fund, along with Bishop Harry Jackson, have fought a losing battle to shamelessly harm gay and lesbian couples in D.C. who seek nothing more than to share in the rights and responsibilities of marriage," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. "The D.C. Council and mayor courageously made marriage equality a reality last year, and the courts have since upheld the rights of D.C. residents to govern ourselves and take the necessary steps to eliminate discrimination in our community."
The appeal challenged a ruling by the D.C. Court of Appeals in which it upheld a D.C. law that bans ballot measures proposing any kind of discrimination already prohibited by the D.C. Human Rights Act. The Court of Appeals said putting the district's same-sex marriage law to a vote would discriminate against D.C. gays and lesbians.
"With today's decision from the Supreme Court, marriage equality opponents have reached the end of their legal wrangling," said HRC. "The D.C. Board of Elections, Superior Court, Court of Appeals and now the U.S. Supreme Court have rejected their meritless and tired arguments that they should be permitted to impose a discriminatory ballot measure on D.C. voters."
Same-sex marriage became legal in D.C. last March.
