Plaintiff in historic D.C. marriage equality case seeks first marriage license after 20 years of waiting

01/03/10 AP:

In Dean v. District of Columbia, 653 A.2d 307 (D.C. 1995), the D.C. Court of Appeals ruled that denial of a marriage license to Craig Dean and Patrick Gill did not violate the District's Human Rights Act, which bans discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. D.C.'s recently enacted marriage-equality becomes effective at the of a 30-day, Congressional review period, presenting opportunity for reflection on Dean's legacy. This article concerns the plaintiffs, their counsel, their motivations, the challenges they faced, the ruling's impact on their lives, and the controversy the case created.

The Alliance Defense Fund claims authority in Dean for the latest lawsuit of D.C.'s marriage-equality opponents, who seek to qualify an initiative that would restore a ban on same-sex marriage. (See this post for the most recent development in the lawsuit, and this post about the earlier lawsuit.)