Out-of-state gay marriages now recognized in D.C.

As of 12:01 this morning, gays and lesbians who are married in Iowa, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine or Vermont now also have their marriages recognized in Washington, D.C. The D.C. City Council approved the measure last month, but it was subject to a 30-day Congressional review period. Since Congress took no action, gay and lesbian marriages performed legally in other states are now legal in D.C. as well. No same-sex marriages, however, are recognized by the Federal government. Says the conservative Washington Times: "The law will affect everything from tax filing, employer health care benefits, inheritance and hospital visitation rights to mundane activities, such as gym memberships and car rentals. "Recognition of same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions strengthens many rights that were already in place with the District's Health Benefits Expansion Act of 1992, which allowed gay couples to register as domestic partners and receive some of the same benefits afforded to married couples. "The act, which did not go into effect until 2002 because implementation was blocked by Congress, has been amended over the years to offer additional benefits that allow same-sex couples to make medical decisions on each other's behalf, to benefit from hospital visitation rights and to file taxes jointly, among other things. "The U.S. Census Bureau lists 3,839 same-sex couples as residing in the District, according to 2005-2007 data. And the nearly 33,000 gay, lesbian and bisexual people–single and coupled–living in the District made up approximately 8.1 percent of the city's total adult population in 2005."