President Biden Signs Bill into Law to Protect Same-Sex Marriage
LGBTQ+ couples and activists can celebrate now that President Biden has officially signed the Respect for Marriage Act (RFMA) into federal law. Last week, the bill – which mandates federal recognition for same-sex and interracial marriages throughout the US – passed with 39 Republicans joining Democrats in support after the Senate also passed the bill with the support of 12 Republican senators.
President Biden (@POTUS) tweeted, “Today is a good day. Today, America takes another step toward equality. Toward liberty and justice not just for some, but for all. Because today, I sign the Respect for Marriage Act into law.”
The White House celebrated the historic moment on the South Lawn of the White House with guests that included Judy Kasen-Windsor, widow of gay rights activist Edie Windsor; Matthew Haynes, co-owner of Club Q, the LGBTQ+ club in Colorado Springs where a gunman last month killed five people in a mass shooting; Club Q survivors James Slaugh and Michael Anderson; and a number of plaintiffs from cases that culminated in the landmark civil rights case Obergefell vs. Hodges, in which the Supreme Court ruled in 2015 that same-sex couples could marry nationwide.
Out Leadership‘s Brian Sims also attended the ceremony to witness the historic moment. “The actions taken by Congress these last few days, and by President Biden today, are fully emblematic of the support that the American people have for love and equality,” said Sims, the managing director of Public Policy & Government Affairs for Out Leadership. “While there are still many steps that need to be taken to ensure that fairness and justice apply to all Americans, including those of us in the LGBTQ+ communities, days like today are a reminder to everyone that dignity and equality are truly American values.”
Before today’s event, Founder and CEO of Out Leadership, Todd Sears said, “By repealing the Defense of Marriage Act and requiring federal and state governments to recognize legal same-sex and interracial marriages, the RFMA assures LGBTQ+ and interracial couples significant protections of their civil, legal, and human rights.”
Although it’s a positive move forward, Sears feels it’s still a step short for true marriage equality. “It is disheartening that marriage equality is still not codified as a constitutional right, and that Obergefell v. Hodges is vulnerable to reversal by a regressive or hostile Supreme Court. It is also disappointing that, despite overwhelming popular support for same-sex marriage, the RFMA explicitly permits discrimination against LGBTQ+ and interracial couples on religious grounds.”
Within the past decade, more Americans have supported same-sex marriage, according to the Public Religious Research Institute. The nonprofit, nonpartisan organization’s surveys revealed that 68% of Americans supported same-sex marriage in 2021, up 14 percentage points from 2014.
