An early holiday gift for city’s gay couples
Mayor Fenty makeshistory, signsD.C. marriage bill
By LOU CHIBBARO JR.lchibbaro@dcagenda.com
With about 200 spectators cheeringfrom the pews, D.C. Mayor AdrianFenty signed a bill last week to legalizesame-sex marriage in Washington dur-ing a ceremony at a church that playeda leading role in pushing for black civilrights in the 1950s and 1960s.“To the world, today an era ofstruggle ends for thousands of resi-dents of Washington, D.C., who havebeen denied the fundamental right tomarry the person of their choosing,”Fenty told the gathering at All SoulsUnitarian Church in Northwest D.C.“I say to all those residents whowatch the nation’s capital today that ourcity is taking a leap forward in ensuringfreedom and equality to all residents.”Fenty signed the ReligiousFreedom & Civil Marriage EqualityAmendment Act of 2009 four daysafter the D.C. Council gave its finalapproval of the measure, 11-2.The signing also came fivemonths after a separate bill passedby the Council and signed by Fenty,which recognizes same-sex mar-riages performed in other jurisdic-tions, became law after clearing itsrequired congressional review.The measure that Fenty signedFriday was expected to be sent toCapitol Hill this week, where it, too,must undergo a congressionalreview of 30 legislative days. Mostcongressional observers expect theDemocratic controlled Congress willallow the bill to become law by takingno legislative action to overturn it.
U.S. wants Musevenito ‘be a leader’
By CHRIS JOHNSONcjohnson@dcagenda.com
U.S. officials have received assur-ances from the Ugandan presidentthat he would work to block a harshlyanti-gay bill from becoming law in hiscountry and would veto the legisla-tion should it come to his desk,according to the State Department.Jon Tollefson, a State Departmentspokesperson, told DC Agenda thatUgandan President Yoweri Musevenihas pledged on several occasions tothe top U.S. diplomat engaged inAfrica that he would stop progress onthe anti-gay bill.Assistant Secretary of State forAfrican Affairs Johnnie Carson receivedthis assurance from Museveni on Oct.24 during an in-person meeting with thepresident in Uganda and again during aphone conversation with Museveni onDec. 4, Tollefson said.Homosexual acts are already illegalin Uganda, but the anti-gay legislation— a bill sponsored by a member of thepresident’s party — would, amongother things, institute the death penaltyfor repeat offenders of the homosexualacts ban and those who have homo-sexual sex while HIV positive.Additionally, the bill would crimi-nalize the formation of LGBT organi-zations and the publication or broad-cast of pro-gay materials in Uganda.
Surrounded by D.C. City Council members and other supporters, Mayor
Adrian Fenty
signs a bill to legalize same-sex mar-riage in Washington.
DC Agenda photo by Michael Key
City’s gay community center to temporarilyrelocate Jan. 1.
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districtagenda
Our former intern,
Callie
, prepares fordebut of
‘REAL WORLD D.C.’ Page 20
socialagenda
an apartmentwith a ‘view’
How
David Franco’s
latest project, a $90 millionresidential building,survived the recessionand real estate bust.
PAGE 6
nightlifeagenda
A roundup of localNew Year’s Eve partyoptions as the cityprepares to celebratethe arrival of 2010.
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personalagenda
The holidays can bringadded stress for thosefighting addiction. Localactor John Moletressrecalls his own struggle.
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dcagenda
the lgbtq community’s news source
dcagenda.com • vol. 1, issue 6 • december 25, 2009
Continues onpage 5Continues onpage 16
Ugandan President
Yoweri Museveni
Photo courtesy ofthecommonwealth.org
Ugandan president to blockanti-gay bill, officials say
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