Proposal Interrupts D.C. Gay Marriage Hearing

By Advocate.com Editors

DC GAY MARRIAGE PROPOSAL SCREENGRAB X390 | Advocate.com

Round two of the Washington D.C. council’s hearing on legalizing same-sex marriage was interrupted Tuesday when one of the witnesses stopped to propose to his partner.

"I'm taking a huge step in my own life," said Andy Hertzberg. "I'd like to ask you: Would you marry me?"

His partner, Andy Rollman, said, "Yes."

Hertzberg told reporters he decided the time was right as soon as he found out he’d be testifying.

Council members seemed to approve and even offered congratulations, but some attending the hearing weren’t so happy.

"I have never -- I have been down here to testify, but for something like this to happen in the council chambers -- there's no respect," said Barbara Morgan, a gay marriage opponent.

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Reader Comments

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Name: Hugh
Date posted: 11/5/2009 1:06:35 AM
Hometown: Dallas

Comment:
A guy proposed to his partner during a city council hearing. Wonderful. Do you feel better now? How many votes do you think that stunt will get us in the next anti gay marriage initiative? NONE. First, these public proposals, (almost exclusively heterosexual), always look clumsy and cartoonish. Making it two guys, in a hostile setting, doesn't improve on that. I think we in the "gay community" need to really ask ourselves, not whether or not we want our civil rights, but whether or not we're willing to do what it takes to win them. And let's stop doing the things that repel people from our cause. It's not enough just to be right. People need to want to be on our side. The Bush administration was able to ram policies, wars, tax cuts, and environmental catastrophes down our throats because they knew how to make people eat a crap sandwich and like it!!! It's time to be a lot smarter about this because we are getting nowhere. This stunt will get us nothing!!!
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Name: Ed
Date posted: 11/3/2009 7:00:16 PM
Hometown: Washington DC

Comment:
No respect?! How about the respect for the LGBT community as human beings. Nice choice of words for someone who was their to protest our right to be marry the one we love.
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Name: Franz
Date posted: 11/3/2009 4:13:39 PM
Hometown: seattle

Comment:
Thanks David for a non-histrionic (typical) thoughtful answer. I was under the impression that it was actually interrupted. Still I wish these guys the best.
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Name: David
Date posted: 11/3/2009 1:26:26 PM
Hometown: Washington, DC

Comment:
I think part of the problem is this article's headline. The two men did not "interrupt" the hearing to stage their proposal. One of the men was testifying. He was given three minutes to testify, and he chose to use part of his allotted time to propose. It was clearly relevant to the subject about which he was testifying; it wasn't like he was testifying about something completely unrelated. Given the facts of the situation, it was not "inappropriate".
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Name: Sam B.
Date posted: 11/3/2009 1:25:51 PM
Hometown: Menlo Park

Comment:
First, for you IDIOTS who say this was inappropriate and asked if it were in a Supreme Court setting, I'd say, "BUT IT WASN'T THE SUPREME COURT. IT WAS A WASHINGTON DC CITY COUNCIL MEETING." Jesus Homophobic Christ, get some PERSPECTIVE! Secondly - if not in a debate about gay marriage - when IS it appropriate to show the world that we wish to commit our lives and love to each other? Again, I say: IDIOTS! WAKE THE FUCK UP! The reason that Prop 8 passed in California is because smarmy, fraidy-cat twinkie little worms like YOU didn't want CA to actually SEE gay people in advertisements. They didn't want to show gay families. They didn't want to picture gays living with and loving each other. IDIOTS - it's time to stop hiding under rocks and show ourselves and DEMAND our rights! Hey, I know - all you namby pamby types just sit back and let the REST of us do all the work FOR YOU.
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Name: Andrew
Date posted: 11/3/2009 1:20:53 PM
Hometown: albuquerque

Comment:
Don't worry Franz. A city council meeting isn't the same thing as a Supreme Court hearing :-)
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Name: Andrew
Date posted: 11/3/2009 1:19:05 PM
Hometown: albuquerque

Comment:
Of course she says it was "no respect." If she was FOR gay marriage then she wouldn't have had a problem with it. Grow up lady!
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Name: Joe Mustich, JP
Date posted: 11/3/2009 12:20:23 PM
Hometown: Washington, Connecticut

Comment:
Congrats guys! And good luck DC. Cheers, Joe Mustich, Justice of the Peace, Washington, Connecticut, USA.
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Name: warren
Date posted: 11/3/2009 9:22:59 AM
Hometown: NYC

Comment:
What's inappropriate is having a popular vote to take your rights away!
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Name: Bob Smullen
Date posted: 11/3/2009 8:52:08 AM
Hometown: Hackensack, NJ

Comment:
I watched the film “Milk” this past weekend. One comment the Harvey Milk character made was that politics was about theater. The implication being that it was not always possible to achieve a political victory in the here and now, but you set yourself up for victory down the road by forcing others to take notice. So to all of you scaredy cats, who say this is not “appropriate”, stop hiding under your beds. Come out, come out, wherever you are and make some noise!

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