District of Columbia

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LGBT rights in the District of Columbia
District of Columbia (US)
Same-sex sexual activity legal?	Legal since 1993 (Legislative repeal)
Recognition of relationships	Same-sex marriage since March 2, 2010
Restrictions:	none
Adoption	Yes
Discrimination protections	Yes

The establishment of LGBT rights in the District of Columbia is a relatively recent occurrence, with the majority of advances in LGBT rights taking place in the past century. Along with nine states, the District of Columbia recognizes marriage of same-sex couples. The percentage of households in the District of Columbia based on same-sex couples in 2008 was at 1.8%, the highest in the nation.

Law regarding same-sex sexual activity

Same-sex sexual activity was decriminalized in 1981 but the decision was quickly overturned by the United States Congress. A successful legislative repeal of laws criminalizing same-sex sexual activity followed in 1993.

Recognition of same-sex relationships

Main article: Same-sex marriage in the District of Columbia

Same-sex domestic partnerships were legalized by the city government in 1992 through the Health Benefits Expansion Act, but the Republican-controlled Congress refused to approve the measure until 2002, when a legislative rider preventing Congressional approval of the Act's implementation was not included that year. Afterward, the domestic partnerships provisions of District law were incrementally expanded.

Same-sex marriage in the District of Columbia was legalized on December 18, 2009, when mayor Adrian Fenty signed a bill passed by the Council of the District of Columbia on December 15, 2009. Following the signing the measure entered a mandatory Congressional review of 30 work days. Marriage licenses became available on March 3, 2010, and marriages began on March 9, 2010. The District became the only jurisdiction in the United States below the Mason–Dixon Line to allow same-sex couples to marry, until neighboring Maryland legalized same sex marriage in 2012. (Same-sex marriage in California was briefly legal in 2008, but it is not considered to be below the Mason-Dixon Line, even though most of it is further south than the line.)

Domestic partnerships for same-sex and opposite-sex couples remain available as an option alongside marriage.

The District has provided benefits to same-sex partners of state employees since 2002.

Discrimination protection

Sexual orientation and gender identity are covered as protected classes under the District of Columbia's law.

Hate crime laws

District's hate crime law covers hate crimes based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Gender reassignment

Transgender individuals may amend their birth certificates after they have undergone sex-reassignment surgery.

Organizations

LGBT organizations

• Asian Pacific Islander Queer Sisters (APIQS)
• Asian Pacific Islander Queers United for Action (AQUA)
• Bi Women's Cultural Alliance
• DC for Marriage
• Gay & Lesbian Activists Alliance
• Khush DC
• Sigma- Washington, DC

LGBT community centers

• The DC Center for the LGBT Community

LGBT youth organizations

• Coalition for Positive Sexuality
• Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League
• Youth Pride Alliance

Higher education LGBT resource offices

• American University Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Ally Resource Center
• Gallaudet University LGBTQA Resource Center
• The George Washington University LGBT Resource Center
• Georgetown University LGBTQ Resource Center

Anti-LGBT Industry

• Family Research Council
• Traditional Values Coalition

References

Thank You
LGBT Wikipedians
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Some content in this article from Wikipedia's WikiProject LGBT studies
The Wikipedia article is LGBT rights in the District of Columbia
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Special thank you to participants of Wikipedia's WikiProject LGBT studies!