Today, the Washington D.C. city council passed a bill legalizing gay marriage with an overwhelming wide margin. According to the AP, Mayor Adrian Fenty has promised to sign the bill, which passed 11-2 vote. Gay couples could start getting married as early as March of 2010.

Former Mayor Marion Barry and current council member voted no for the bill, saying, ” “I’m not voting not against the LGBT community, I’m voting no against this particular act.” Yvette Alexander was the other no vote, thanking the LGBT community for continuing to stand by her “through this difficult vote.”

In recent days, “the only suspense… has been about whether the council would consider amendments the bill to try to assuage some of the concerns the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington has raise about the proposal,” reported the Post. “Under the bill, church officials are already exempt from having to participate in same-sex wedding ceremonies or celebrations. But if gay couples are allowed to marry, church officials worry Catholic Charities would be forced to extend spousal benefits and adoption services to same-sex couples.”

This is a great victory for our community as a whole, and we look forward to seeing how this plays out in the coming months. More on the story at the Advocate and the Associated Press.