Pastor Won't Cave on D.C. Marriage Fight

Bishop Harry Jackson isn't giving up on his campaign to stop same-sex marriage in Washington D.C. without a fight. Despite the drubbing he took this summer before the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics, Jackson released a statement Monday saying he and other opponents of marriage equality would file an initiative request with the elections board Tuesday.

"The D.C. City Council has stated that their intention is to redefine marriage by going beyond recognizing homosexual marriage to allow them to be performed in the District of Columbia," Jackson's statement said. "This redefinition of marriage will permanently impact D.C. businesses, education, and the family unit without the voice of the residents being heard."

According to The Washington Post: "If approved by the board, the initiative would give District residents an opportunity to vote sometime next year on whether to legalize same-sex marriage in the District. Jackson, who says he believes that most city voters oppose same-sex marriage, is hoping his proposal will slow efforts by the D.C. Council to legalize those marriages. Sometime this fall, council member David A. Catania (I-At Large) is expected to file a bill to legalize same-sex marriage in the District. Because of legislation passed in May, gay couples married in other states already may have their marriages recognized in the District."

Jackson is the senior pastor of the Hope Christian Church in Beltsville and has become one of the leading opponents against same-sex marriage in D.C. in recent months.