Gay marriage: a civil right.

This article describes the author's efforts to secure marriage rights for same-sex couples in the District of Columbia. The importance of such rights are described in terms of their benefits to partners in areas such as inheritance, taxation, and benefit to society. It is argued that refusal to recognize same-sex marriages is not justified by statute and that discrimination on the basis of sex violates the District's Human Rights Act. Certain prior court cases, moreover, affirm the moral logic for extending marriage rights to same-sex couples.