Visit the new site for marriage equality in the District of Columbia: www.dcformarriage.org.

May 17th, 2004 will go down in history as the day marriage licenses were first issued to couples in the state of Massachusetts. What you might not know, however, is that it is also a historical day for the District of Columbia. On that day, for the first time ever, six brave couples went to the DC Courthouse to request marriage licenses asking two very simple questions. Why not us? Why not now?

They were a diverse group of individuals. The oldest couple was in their sixties, and the youngest couple was in their twenties. Both male and female couples; African American, Latino, and White; wealthy couples and not-so-wealthy.

We had a rally on the steps of the courhouse that day. And then we had a celebration to mark the occasion (complete with a wedding cake) at Cobalt.

Groups like the GLAA weren't supportive of this effort. They were focused on (and have done good work on) domestic partnership legislation in DC. But on that particular day, the day Marriage Licenses were issued in Massachusetts, I'm proud that some of us stood up right here and said we want nothing less than full equality in the District.

These couples were denied the right to marry in the District of Columbia. They are still waiting.