39 GOP Congress Members Join Fight Against DC Marriage Equality

This time with the support of 39 GOP Congress members, Stand For Marriage DC has once again filed a petition to force putting marriage equality to a vote in Washington.

Same-sex marriage supporters and opponents faced off in D.C. Superior Court for a hearing Wednesday on whether the city should be required to allow a ballot initiative that would define marriage as being between a man and a woman. Thirty-nine GOP legislators, including 37 members of the House and two senators, James M. Inhofe (R-Okla.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), have filed an amicus brief supporting a public vote on the issue. The House members include Minority Leader John A. Boehner (Ohio) and Minority Whip Eric Cantor (Va.). The filing asserts that the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics exceeded its authority by ruling twice that a public vote would discriminate against gay men and lesbians.

Local DC GOP leaders had requested that nationally elected Republicans stay out of this fight.