Washington, D.C. is in the process of passing a bill that would allow same sex marriage. If the bill is passed, Washington, D.C. would be the first city below the Mason-Dixon line to allow same sex marriage.
If the bill passes, Congress will have 30 days to enact a joint-resolution that could block the bill from passing. Massachusets, Iowa, Vermont and Connecticut have already instituted same-sex marriage.
The Daily Tar Heel spoke with Pamela Conover, political science professor about the proposed bill.
The possibility of this bill passing is very high, because it already has ten co-sponsors, and Congress has more important issues such as health care reform, the economy and Afghanistan to focus on, she said.
However, whether the bill will trigger a movement for same-sex legislation in other states is still debatable, she said.
“I think you will see slow process on the issue. I don’t think that success in D.C is all of the sudden spur the surrounding states into similar efforts," Conover said.
“I think it has a symbolic significance, but in terms of strategic victories, I don’t think it is going to change the landscape of what individual state battles look like around the country," she said
Seeing such a bill pass in North Carolina in the near future is improbable, but ultimately the issue of same-sex marriage will be decided by the Supreme court, she said.
What you're saying:
“Honestly, no I don’t think it would pass. I think that there are many people who are just against it I guess.” - Brian Marsden, junior, economics Major
“I think that there is a lot of prejudice that is still around, and people need to be more open-minded and realize giving rights to people is not necessarily just a religious issue but that taking away governmental rights is a governmental issue that needs to be fixed, and that there can be a separation between the religious definition of marriage and the governmental form of marriage” - Thomas Daniels, sophomore, political science major.
"You do see a lot more people that are homosexual that are coming out and I think personally that it is tough for a country like America to tell people what they can’t and cannot do.”- Michael Daniel, senior, exercise and sports science major.
“It would definitely set a precedent. Washington, D.C is the capital of the country. So I think that, knowing the way Washington, D.C works, for it to pass legislation like that, I think that a lot of other big cities would follow too. But I don’t think that it will pass."- Alex Bloom, senior, business major.
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