Photo by spiggycat

Several D.C. officials congratulated President Barack Obama yesterday after he finally announced his support for same-sex marriage, which has been legal in D.C. since 2010.

In a tweet, Mayor Vince Gray thanked Obama and said that “bigotry should never be enshrined in our law.”

In a statement, Councilmember David Catania (I-At Large), who is gay and quit the Republican Party in 2004 over its stance on marriage equality, thanked Obama while recognizing that his evolution on the issue was much like that experienced by other Americans:

The President’s comments today mark a historic moment for equality and human rights for our nation. By his simple declaration, President Obama has affirmed the deeply American principle that we should all be treated equally under the law. Like many Americans, the President’s acceptance of marriage equality has not been easy. It has required him to challenge certain long held beliefs. As a gay American, I am both proud and grateful to have a President with the courage to undertake this journey.

Councilmember Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3) also joined in, saying that a “just society must provide equal protection to all of its citizens. She added, “This truth was enshrined in the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Equality Act of 2009, which provided marriage equality in the District of Columbia. I was proud to be a part of that historic legislation, and I am proud of our President today.”

Further north, Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley also commended Obama’s statements.

Today, President Obama affirmed that for a people of many different faiths—a people who are committed to the principle of religious freedom—the way forward is always to be found through greater respect for the equal rights and human dignity of all.

In Maryland, we agree.

Ultimately, we all want the same thing for our children: to live in a loving, stable committed home protected equally under the law.

O’Malley signed same-sex marriage into law in March, but it could face the voters if opponents gather enough signatures to put the measure on the November ballot.