The Stand 4 Marriage DC Coalition has asked the D.C. Superior Court to order the Board of Elections and Ethics to allow their "Marriage Initiative of 2009" on the ballot so they can begin collecting signatures.

This was not totally unexpected, but the really vile part of the news is the 39 congressmen who have filed an amicus brief to stand by Bishop Harry Jackson and his gang of bigots:

D.C. Wire: "In the filing, U.S. senators James Inhofe (Okla.) and Roger Wicker (Miss.) and 37 House Republicans align with Bishop Harry Jackson, pastor of Hope Christian Church, in asking the court to reverse a D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics decision prohibiting the same-sex marriage question to be put before voters.

"Under the United States Constitution, they serve as members of the ultimate legislative authority for the District of Columbia and the very body which delegated to the District its limited legislative power under home rule," the filing states. 'As members of the District's ultimate legislative body, amici are concerned about the extent of the District's delegated legislative authority, the preservation of Congress's constitutional authority, and the interpretation of home rule.'

The filing comes as Jackson and his attorneys appeared in Superior Court today for a hearing on whether a referendum should be held. In two separate rulings since June, the elections board has stated that a public vote on same-sex marriage would be discriminatory against gay men and lesbians. Jackson is vowing an exhaustive court fight to challenge those decisions."

In addition to Wicker and Inhofe, House Minority Leader John Boehner (Ohio) and Minority Whip Eric Cantor (Va.), the brief was also signed by (via americablog):

U.S. Reps. Robert Aderholt (Ala.), Todd Akin (Mo.), Michele Bachmann
(Minn.), J. Gresham Barrett (S.C.), Roscoe Bartlett (Md.), Marsha
Blackburn (Tenn.), John Boozman (Ark.), Jason Chaffetz (Utah), John
Fleming (La.), J. Randy Forbes (Va.), Virginia Foxx (N.C.), Scott
Garrett (N.J.), Phil Gingrey (Ga.), Louie Gohmert (Tex.), Jeb
Hensarling (Tex.), Wally Herger (Calif.), Walter Jones (N.C.), Jim
Jordan (Ohio), Steve King (Iowa), Jack Kingston (Ga.), John Kline
(Minn.) Doug Lamborn (Colo.), Robert Latta (Ohio), Don Manzullo (Ill.),
Michael McCaul (Tex.), Thaddeus McCotter (Mich.), Patrick McHenry
(N.C.), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (Wash.), Jeff Miller (Fla.), Jerry Moran
(Kan.), Randy Neugebauer (Tex.), Mike Pence (Ind.), Joe Pitts (Pa.),
Mark Souder (Ind.) and Todd Tiahrt (Kan.).

Hopefully, sane and fair heads will prevail.