Photo by D©Bloom

Good morning, Washington, and welcome to yet another Same-Sex Marriage Tuesday! The D.C. Council today is poised to take its first vote on whether to legalize gay marriage in the District. With 10 co-introducers, the bill is more than expected to pass on first reading, with the only real question being which Council members will actually vote against it. Ward 5’s Harry Thomas, Jr. has indicated he will likely vote in favor of the bill, leaving only Ward 8’s Marion Barry and Ward 7’s Yvette Alexander still holding out. Barry, a celebrated civil rights leader, was the only Council member to vote against recognizing same-sex marriages performed in other states earlier this year. After today’s vote, keep in mind that the bill will still have to pass a second vote in the Council, be signed by Mayor Fenty, and then left alone by Congress for 30 days before it can become law.

Transit Safety Zone Measure Up as Emergency Legislation: In other Council business today, Harry Thomas, Jr.’s proposal to increase criminal penalties within special “safety zones” that would be marked around every transit stop in the city will go up for consideration on an emergency basis, the Examiner reports. ‘”I think this is an emergency because we have a lot of unemployment, a lot of desperate people,”‘ Thomas told the paper. Phil Mendelson thinks the bill ought to go through the regular legislative process, and have a thorough public hearing.

Salahis do Today: In case you missed the Today show this morning, those wacky Salahis were finally there, on national television, to denounce the media’s portrayals of them and insist that they were actually invited when they showed up to the White House State Dinner last week. Fishbowl DC has a little recap, including complaints that their “lives have been destroyed.” Sure. Note that Salahi pal Angie Goff of WUSA9 actually got the first interview (albeit not on camera) with the notorious couple, and WTTG/FOX5’s Will Thomas reports today that the Salahis also crashed the Black Caucus dinner, where they were unceremoniously escorted out by security after sneaking in through the caterer’s entrance. And of course, Robert Gibbs is now saying both President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama are pretty well ticked about the whole thing.

Briefly Noted: Man shot after armed robbery in Southeast … Violence prompts more police presence at D.C. charter schools … Chain Bridge work to take longer than expected … D.C. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services head Vince Schiraldi is heading to New York City to lead the probation department for Michael Bloomberg … District to disburse $7.5M in stimulus money for the homeless.

This Day in DCist: In 2008, we contemplated the moral failings of the Snuggie, and in 2006, we welcomed back Stoney’s, this time in the Logan Circle neighborhood.