Photo by Scubaben

The D.C. Council has voted 12-1 in favor of a bill that recognizes same-sex marriages performed elsewhere. Ward 8 Council member Marion Barry (D) was the lone dissenter.

The vote sets up a situation where Council member David Catania (I-At Large) will now have to wait and see how Congress reacts to this decision before deciding when to introduce a second bill that would allow same-sex marriages to be performed in the District. D.C. laws are subject to review by Congress, although that doesn’t necessarily mean that Congress would have to approve this bill for it to become law. If they take no action at all, the legislation will become law automatically after 30 days.

UPDATE: Barry had more words for reporters after today’s vote, including a prediction of a “civil war” within the District if Catania goes forward with plans to introduce a broader gay marriage bill later this year. He did, however, offer a rebuke of those anti-marriage equality protesters who raised their voices in the halls of the Wilson Building today. “That kind of conduct sets it all back,” he told reporters.