President Biden signs landmark bill into law protecting same-sex and interracial marriage
WASHINGTON President Joe Biden on Tuesday signed historic legislation nationally protecting same-sex marriage, marking a major milestone in the fight for gay rights that follows a seismic shift in the nation’s stance. “Today is a good day,” Biden said before signing the bill. “Today, America took an important step toward equality, freedom, and justice, not just for some, but for everyone. Toward creating a nation where decency, respect, and love are recognized, respected, and protected.”
At the White House in a ceremony on the South Lawn, Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act, a law requiring all states to recognize same-sex and interracial marriages. Among the thousands in attendance were Democratic and Republican lawmakers, LGBTQ advocates, and plaintiffs in marriage equality cases. In 2015, the U.S. The new law would protect same-sex marriage if the Supreme Court overturns the landmark Obergefell v. Hodges decision that legalized same-sex marriage under Biden, according to a statement after the law was passed last week.
The bill “gives peace of mind to millions of LGBTQI+ and interracial couples that they and their children are now guaranteed the rights and protections they deserve.” After Associate Justice Clarence Thomas came to the push to codify same-sex and interracial marriage rights in Congress. It asked the Supreme Court to “rethink” other rights established by the Supreme Court after it ruled in June that Americans no longer have the right to an abortion.
Thomas, Roe v. In a concurring opinion supporting overturning Wade, he singled out views that prevent states from banning contraception, same-sex couple sex, and same-sex marriage. Biden highlighted the “uncertainty” after the Dobbs ruling that overturned Roe, saying the new law would restore “a measure of security for millions of marriages and families.” Between 2,000 and 3,000 lawmakers and advocates attended Tuesday’s signing event on the South Lawn.
including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. “The Respect for Marriage Act is not the right thing to do for America. It’s personal to our staff and our families. And it’s certainly personal to me,” Schumer said in remarks at the ceremony. “The tie I’m wearing reminds me of this moment. It’s the tie I wore on the day my daughter got married to a beautiful young woman, one of the happiest days of my life.
” The ceremony was also star-studded, with singers Sam Smith — non-binary — and Cyndi Lauper singing “Stay With Me” and “True Colors,” respectively. In remarks before the ceremony, Lauper, an advocate for LGBT rights, thanked the president and those who helped pass the bill. “We can rest easy tonight because our families have been vindicated,” Lauper said at a White House press briefing. “Now we are allowed to love who we love.”
For Biden, his signature on the law is the U.S. cements a reputation as the most pro-LGBTQ president in history — a legacy that began in May 2012 when he was vice president. Ahead of his boss, President Barack Obama, he said he was “absolutely comfortable” with men marrying men or women marrying women. “It’s all a simple proposal. Who do you love?” Biden said at the time. According to data from the Census Bureau’s annual American Community Survey, there will be about 710,000 married same-sex couple households and about 500,000 unmarried same-sex couple households in the U.S. in 2021.
The new law does not require states to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples but requires them to recognize the legality of valid marriages performed elsewhere. The legislation cleared the House last week by a vote of 258-169, with 39 Republicans joining all Democrats, and passed the Senate 61-39, with 12 Republicans voting in favor. The bipartisan votes reflect a rapid sea change in views about same-sex marriage, which many Democrats were reluctant to support even a decade ago.
“While we are one step closer in our long journey to building a more perfect union, we must never stop fighting for full equality for LGBTQI+ Americans and all Americans,” Biden said in a statement last week.
