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President Joe Biden has signed legislation that protects same-sex and interracial marriage, a move welcomed by rights advocates as an important step amid fears of a potential rollback and threats against marginalized communities.
Biden signed the landmark bill, known as the Respect for Marriage Act, into law during a ceremony on the White House lawn on Tuesday afternoon that drew thousands of supporters, including top Democratic legislators – as well as some Republican lawmakers.
“Today is a good day. A day America takes a vital step towards equality, towards liberty and justice not just for some, but for everyone – everyone,” Biden said, thanking those who pushed for “equality and justice” in the US for years.
“This law and the love it defends strike a blow against hate in all its forms, and that’s why this law matters to every single American, no matter who you are and who you love,” he said.
The House passed the bipartisan legislation on December 8 after a successful vote in the US Senate at the end of November.
Today, I sign the Respect for Marriage Act into law – a landmark civil rights bill that honors the courage and sacrifice of generations of couples who fought for marriage equality and equal rights.
— President Biden (@POTUS) December 13, 2022
The Respect for Marriage Act overturns the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which prohibited the federal government from recognizing marriages that were not between a man and a woman. It also requires states to recognize any valid marriage performed in other states, regardless of sex.
Biden thanked members of Congress, particularly Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin and Republican Sen. Susan Collins, for their commitment to passing the law. Thirty-nine House Republicans joined House Democrats last week in supporting the bill’s final passage. Twelve Republicans voted for the legislation in the Senate, after an amendment was added ensuring that nonprofit religious groups wouldn’t be required to provide services, goods or facilities to celebrate same-sex marriages, and safeguarding religious liberty and conscience protections in federal law.
Attendees at Tuesday’s ceremony included Judy Kasen-Windsor, the widow of Edie Windsor, whose 2013 landmark case before the Supreme Court determined that legally married same-sex couples are entitled to the same federal benefits as heterosexual couples; Matthew Haynes, the owner of Club Q, a Colorado Springs LGBTQ club where five people were killed last month; Club Q survivors James Slaugh and Michael Anderson; plaintiffs in the case that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide; an attorney in the case that legalized interracial marriage; and a survivor of the Pulse nightclub shooting. The president thanked activists who made personal sacrifices along the way.
“My fellow Americans, the road to this moment has been long,” the president said. “But those who believe in equality and justice, you never gave up. Many of you are standing out on the South Lawn here. So many of you put your relationships on the line, your jobs on the line, your lives on the line.”
