Somebody's Getting Married...In D.C.

The District of Columbia began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples today after the Supreme Court declined to intervene (The Advocate). Anti-marriage equality activists had asked the Court to place a moratorium on the issuance of marriage licenses until residents could vote on the matter. Chief Justice John Roberts, noting that Congress had not acted to pass a bill to prevent the City from implementing the law, said that the Court would defer to the local courts, which had similarly declined to stop the marriages. The Advocate has video of the first couples lining up to receive marriage licenses.

In response to D.C.'s extension of marriage equality to gays and lesbians, Catholic Charities of Washington, D.C. has decided to stop providing spousal benefits to its employees -- all of them (Box Turtle Bulletin). The group is concerned that the new law would result in their inadvertently providing benefits to gay and lesbian employees. The policy would only apply to new employees and newly married employees; those with existing coverage would be able to keep it. The Daily Dish has more.