Marriage Equality is Now the law in America

President Joe Biden signed the bipartisan Respect for Marriage Act on Tuesday, codifying into law protections for same-sex couples.

The signing took place in a large ceremony (pictured below) with thousands of attendees on the south lawn of the White House.

The Respect for Marriage Act does not guarantee the right to marry. It specifies that states must recognize same-sex marriages across state lines and that same-sex couples have the same federal benefits as any married couple.

The renewed push to codify the protections came after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which affirmed the right to have an abortion. Justice Clarence Thomas in his Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization concurring opinion listed the 2015 ruling Obergefell v. Hodges, the case that affirmed the right to same-sex marriage, as another landmark case that may be due for review.

Democrats were joined by twelve Republican senators and 39 GOP representatives to pass the bill. It passed 258-169 in the House on Thursday with bipartisan support after successfully going through the Senate the week prior in a 61-36 vote.

Chronicle News/CNN graphic