The D.C. Council voted today to recognize same-sex marriages from other states. The Post writes:

“The initial vote was 12-0. The unanimous vote sets the stage for future debate on legalizing same-sex marriage in the District and a clash with Congress, which approves the city’s laws under Home Rule. The council is expected to take a final vote on the legislation next month.

Council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1), who is gay, called the amendment a matter of ‘basic fairness.’

The city’s laws on same-sex unions have been murky, he explained. Couples ask, he said, ‘Is my marriage valid in D.C.? For years now, it has not been clear.'”

WTOP files its own story on the vote:

“Just minutes after the Vermont State Legislature voted to overturn a veto by the state’s governor to allow same-sex marriages, the D.C. Council gave preliminary approval to recognize gay marriages performed in other states.

Lawmakers say Tuesday’s 12-0 vote moves the city a step closer to eventually allowing same-sex marriages to be performed in the District.

‘This is a right that should be enjoyed by all of our citizens,’ Councilmember Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) says. ‘Today is another major step toward the ultimate goal of all of us living in a city and a country where everyone is treated equally.’

As LL recently reported, more same-sex legislation is in the works. In a similar vote today, the Washington City Paper staff informally decided that same-sex marriages should be legal in D.C. One staffer went so far as to say that only same-sex marriages should be legal here.