U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts today denied a last-minute request by traditional marriage supporters to stop Washington, D.C.’s same-sex marriage law from taking effect. As a “matter of judicial policy,” Roberts said in an opinion that it has been the practice of the U.S. Supreme Court not to intervene in local matters.

As a matter of history, the U.S. Supreme Court never gets too far ahead of public opinion, or ahead of the laws in the majority of the states.

In their ongoing fight, traditional marriage supporters rallied to either get Congress, which has absolute authority over the District to overturn the measure, or to have it placed on a city-wide ballot. Congress, during its 30-day review period, did not act to overturn it.  (previous story)

At least 50 same-sex couples lined up to apply for marriage licenses when city offices opened Wednesday as the unions became legal in the District.  At the same time, Catholic Charities stopped healthcare coverage. (previous story)

Cheering erupted from the crowd when the first couple signed in at the city’s marriage bureau inside the Moultrie courthouse, just blocks from the U.S. Capitol. Because of a mandatory waiting period of three business days, however, couples won’t actually be able to marry in the District of Columbia until Tuesday.

The District of Columbia will be the sixth place in the world’s oldest federation [the United States of America] same-sex couples can legally wed, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts led the fight with the the states of Connecticut, Iowa, New Hampshire and Vermont following years later.

As of January 1, 2009, thirty states have constitutional amendments explicitly barring the recognition of same-sex marriage, defining civil marriage as a legal union between a man and a woman. More than forty states explicitly restrict marriage to two persons of the opposite sex, including some of those that have created legal recognition for same-sex unions under a name other than “marriage”, e.g., civil unions and domestic partnerships.

In the District of Columbia today, the marriage bureau changed its license applications so they are gender-neutral, asking for the name of each “spouse” rather than the “bride” and “groom.” And at civil marriage ceremonies to be performed in the courthouse, a booklet for the official performing the marriage now reads, “I now pronounce you legally married” instead of “I now pronounce you man and wife.”