Just one year after Washington, D.C. first allowed same-sex couples to wed, the influx of gay marriages in the District is being credited for a twofold increase in marriage licenses.
Since the first same-sex marriage licenses were issued on March 9, 2010, 6,600 couples — heterosexual and homosexual — applied for marriage licenses in Washington, up from 3,100 the previous year. Leah H. Gurowitz, a D.C. Superior Court spokeswomen, released the numbers to the Washington Post.
Court records do not distinguish between same-sex and heterosexual couples, Gurowitz said, but licenses issued fluctuated by only 100 or less in previous years, suggesting gay marriages are responsible for the spike. Residents of surrounding states also came to the Washington to apply for marriage licenses, which were issued provided the couple had their marriage performed within D.C. boundaries.