On Monday, October 25th, the District of Columbia City Council held a public hearing on the subject of the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Equality Amendment Act of 2009, which would grant legal marriage to same sex couples. Prior to the hearing for this hotly contested issue, for which 269 people registered to testify, opponents of marriage equality held a protest in D.C.'s Freedom Plaza. The group seeks a referendum on the bill, which would likely violate D.C.'s Human Rights Act, which forbids ballot initiatives on issues of civil rights. Footage taken and at an earlier event and edited by the People for the American Way sums up the points, spirit, and clear homophobia of the group.

Assertions that religion was necessarily tied to opposition to the bill were disputed again and again during Monday's testimonies. Over the course of the hearings, religious leaders of many faiths testified on behalf of marriage equality. Reverend Robert Hardies of All Souls Church testified that he was firmly committed to marriage equality. "My faith teaches me that where love is present, God is also present," said Hardies. "I urge you to do the right thing and to stand on the side of love." Hardies also applauded the council's legislation for its broad religious liberties clause, which would allow those churches who disagreed with same sex marriage to refuse to perform ceremonies.

Georgetown professor, Catholic priest, and organizer for Catholics United for Marriage Equality Rev. Dr. Joseph Palacios, spoke of what he viewed as the essential separation of church and state, especially as concerns marriage. Palacios also cited statistics indicating that, when told that churches would not be forced to perform same sex marriages, as is provided in the bill, Catholics are in favor of civil marriage equality.

Testimonies in favor of marriage equality swept across a broad range of demographics. Patrick Mara, who identified himself as a "straight Republican who unequivocally supports marriage equality in the District of Columbia," spoke of a large contingency of local Republicans that favored the bill, and said that the city must not "penalize citizens that are gay or lesbian because of their birth."

DC for Marriage organizer Michael Crawford spoke briefly about the contingent of African American voters in D.C., which he said have been wrongly characterized as uniformly opposed to marriage equality. "My group, DC for Marriage, has been having literally thousands of conversations with residents across the District," said Crawford, "and overwhelmingly we have had people who have said to us 'we are with you on marriage equality.'" Crawford said that he wants marriage in the District in part because he wants his 92-year-old grandmother to see her oldest grandson get married.

Bishop Harry Jackson asked the city council members to respect the rights of the people of D.C. to have a referendum, describing at length the District's milestones in voting. David Catania had a history lesson of his own (3:17), saying that the last advisory referendum vote involving the rights of a particular community was in 1865, when the mayor feared efforts of radical Republicans to give the right to vote to recently freed slaves. The vote was 6591 to 35 to deny the right to freed African American males. "There is an opportunity," said Catania, "to have tyranny at a ballot box."

Also notable in the history of D.C. voting is that Jackson has not participated in at least the last ten years, as he was a Maryland resident. Final witness Ernestine Copeland captured the tone of opposition to marriage equality by wrapping up Monday's hearings, at approximately 10:50 p.m., by reading from words scrawled on a sheet of notebook paper that "the devil has showed up here today," and that "the prophecy has never gone unfulfilled." "My god is about reproduction," said Copeland, who felt confident that this legislation (which would help grant equal rights to all District residents) would destroy our society, as "we serve a just god." Copeland also saw fit to refer to one councilman as Demon Wells. "You allowed me to be fired over the telephone, working for the D.C. government," said Copeland on the apparent subject of marriage equality. "Shame on you demons."

The second and final hearing on marriage equality will be held next Monday at 3 p.m. ALSO OF INTEREST: In three videos, the council members discuss with Catholic Charities their rights as a group funded 75% by public money.