GAY MARRIAGE - A CIVIL RIGHT

This article describes the author's efforts to secure marriage rights for same-sex couples in the District of Columbia. The importance of su ch rights are described in terms of their benefits to partners in area s such as inheritance, taxation, and benefit to society. It is argued that refusal to recognize same-sex marriages is not justified by statu te and that discrimination on the basis of sex violates the District's Human Rights Act. Certain prior court cases, moreover, affirm the mor al logic for extending marriage rights to same-sex couples.