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EVENTS RELATED TO MARRIAGE EQUALITY BEGINNING 3/3 IN DC

DC Marriage | March 2, 2010 | Washington, DC

COUPLES, SPOKESPEOPLE AVAILABLE, LIST OF RELATED EVENTS AND MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES BELOW

March 2, 2010

The Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today announced the Congresswoman’s reception to celebrate final enactment of the Religious Freedom and Civil Rights Equality Amendment Act on Tuesday, March 2, 6-8 p.m., Rayburn House Office Building, room 2167. Norton will welcome residents, D.C. officials and gay rights organizations that championed the bill. Entertainment will include selections by the Gay Men’s Chorus of
Washington.

Invited Officials: D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty, City Council Chairman Vincent Gray, City Council Member David Catania, City Council Member Phil Mendelson.

March 3, 2010

As of March 3, 2010* (*date subject to change pending completion of 30-day congressional review), it will be possible for same sex couples to apply for a marriage license in the District of Columbia.

Here is some basic information on marriage in the District.

To apply for a marriage license in the District of Columbia you must visit the D.C. Superior Court Marriage Bureau located in H. Carl Moultrie Courthouse, 500 Indiana Avenue N.W., Room #4485. Couples and activists will assemble at 8am.

We will have couples and activists available for interview beginning at 8am at the courthouse. To schedule anything prior contact Cathy Renna or Laura McGinnis above.

Background information:

By law, three full days must pass between the day of application to the day that the license can be issued. (e.g. if one files an application on Monday the license cannot be issued until Friday). Each party to the marriage must bring proof of identity, such as a driver’s license, government issued non-driver’s identification, birth certificate, passport, or a similar official document. The application requires the parties to identify the name of the officiant who will perform the marriage ceremony. The officiant is any District of Columbia judge, certain court officials, or anyone who is authorized by a religious organization to officiate marriages, such as a minister, priest, rabbi, imam, so long as he or she is registered with the Marriage Bureau to officiate marriages (To schedule a civil marriage at the courthouse, two weeks’ notice is generally required). In addition, the costs are $35 for the marriage license application and an additional $10 for the Certificate of Marriage. The fee must be paid in cash or by a money order made out to “Clerk of the Court, D.C. Superior Court”. The marriage license application fee (but not the $10 fee for the Certificate) will be waived for those who present a Domestic Partnerships Certificate registered with the District of Columbia under DC Code §32-702 at the time of application. All
fees must be paid before the license will be issued.

If you are part of a District of Columbia Domestic Partnership, upon
marrying, your Domestic Partnership automatically dissolves and you are simply married. If you are part of a Domestic Partnership or Civil Union from another state, the other state¹s law may require you to dissolve it prior to marrying in the District of Columbia. Check the other state’s law about your responsibilities and obligations relating to dissolving that legal relationship prior to marrying.

Marriage ceremonies will begin March 9, 2010:

There are several wedding ceremonies at which media will be welcome, including two ceremonies wedding to be held at the Human Rights Campaign building. Please contact Cathy Renna and/or Laura McGinnis for more information and details.

Couples and Spokespeople available March 1-3:

We will also have a number of spokespeople and couples available, including:

Aisha C. Mills and Danielle A. Moodie

Aisha Mills (32), an African American woman who is president of the Campaign for All D.C. Families and her fiancé Danielle Moodie (30), a Jamaican American woman who works for Mayor Bloomberg of New York’s Washington, D.C. Office of Federal Affairs, will be married in August at an interfaith ceremony on Long Island. The couple, who live in Columbia Heights, have been together for 6 years. They will be applying for their license on March 3rd and are in the midst of wedding preparations.

Reginald (Reggie) Stanley and Rocky Galloway

Reggie and Rocky, both African-American, are long-time residents of the district. They are both 50 years old and have two children, Malena and Zoe Stanley-Galloway that are each 15 months old. Judge Ferron will marry them at the Human Rights Campaign headquarters on March 9th. Participating in the ceremony will be their two children, Jim Cullion (the best man) and Cherrie McCoy (the best woman). They will be one of the couples married on the 9th at the HRC event.

Rick A. Imirowicz and Terrance Heath

Rick Imirowicz, 43, will be marrying Terrance Heath, a forty-one year old African-American male. Rick is a doctor and practices Catholicism, while Terrance practices Buddhism. They are long-time District residents, have been together for 10 years and have two children.

Angelisa Young and Sinjolya Townsend

Angelisa and Sinjolya, both African-American women, will be married at HRC headquarters in a non-denominational service on March 9th. Angelisa (age 47) and Sinjolya (age 41) have been together for 13 years and have children. They will be one of the couples married on the 9th at the HRC event.

Cuc Vu and Gwen Migita

Cuc Vu, an Asian Pacific American woman and Gwen Migita, an Asian Pacific Islander, will be married in a non-denominational ceremony. Cuc (age 39) and Gwen (age 38) have been together since October 2008 and are long-time residents of the District.