Marriage Equality Poses Difficulties for Members of Council
When legislation allowing the District to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states came to a first vote before the D.C. Council, it received unanimous support. On its second vote, Council member Marion Barry (D-Ward 8) -- a "moral politician," or so he called himself at the time -- switched sides and voted against it. Now as a battle heats up over a possible referendum on the issue and future legislation that would fully legalize same-sex marriage in the District, some members of the council are starting to waffle on whether to support the cause.
Council member Harry Thomas (D-Ward 5) was the first to show some discomfort with the issue. After a report in the Washington Blade stated that Thomas was fully on board with same-sex marriage in the District, both he and his spokeswomen rushed out to claim that the article's author had misunderstood Thomas' position. Not so, said the Blade, pointing out that Thomas had gone on record in 2006 supporting same-sex marriage. Mike DeBonis at City Desk had a chance to talk to Thomas about the waffling, and got this from him:
We’re going to have to make sure whatever we do passes the congressional smell test. And so I am looking at how we look at possible referendums and other options where we have a true voice of the people on this issue, to strengthen our position when we go forward.Sounds like a much more nuanced pronouncement than his past record would indicate, doesn't it? It makes sense, though. The Ward 5 Democrats are still the only Democratic committee to have voted against the council's endorsement of marriage equality, and plenty of the most fervent opposition seems to be rising from that part of town. Thomas seems to be playing safe politics.
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As is Council member Yvette Alexander (D-Ward 7). In an article in the Post today on the possibility of a referendum on the council's vote, Alexander stated simply, "It needs to be brought to the people."
Though it may seem like Thomas and Alexander are abandoning their past positions for fear of political repercussions, their respective endorsements of a referendum looks like smart politics. Neither one has come out against marriage equality, but neither will they be marching in the Gay Pride Parade anytime soon. Backing a referendum provides them both with enough political cover to ride out the issue relatively unscathed, especially since they know that the referendum is still a distant possibility. (Not only must it be permitted by the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics, but its organizers would be faced with the unenviable task of collecting 21,000 signatures by July.) Additionally, with the great majority of the council still favoring same-sex marriage, losing one or two won't prove to be devastating.
Of course, their waffling comes only in response to the city's move to recognize same-sex marriage performed elsewhere. Once legislation hits that would fully legalize the practice in the District, we may start seeing more defections on the council. Assuming Thomas and Alexander fold and Barry remains "moral," one or two more members might go with them.
But no one really knows. Polling on this issue is old and unreliable, and it's difficult to know whether out-of-state church groups and anti-marriage equality activists will be able to stir up enough local opposition to truly scare members of the council in switching sides. But as Thomas and Alexander make clear, local pols are watching the issue as carefully as they are their re-election campaigns.