The Washington, D.C. Court of Appeals voted 5-4 on Thursday to block an initiative that would have put gay marriage on the ballot in the District, where Mayor Adrian Fenty signed same-sex marriage into law on December 15, 2009. Opponents of gay marriage were seeking to put the issue to voters, but the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics rejected the measure, because it could result in discrimination in violation of the District’s Human Rights Act, which ensures that all individuals shall have “an equal opportunity to participate in all aspects of life.” In their decision, the five affirming judges wrote that “the Board correctly determined that the proposed initiative would have the effect of authorizing such discrimination.”
