Although Biden signs the bill ten years after he publicly supported same-sex marriage, he had first voted against recognition of same-sex marriages when he was a senator.
An Instagram post by @potus says: “Today, America took another step toward equality. Toward liberty and justice not just for some, but for all. Because today, I signed the Respect for Marriage Act into law.”
Another post by @potus also states, “As Mildred Loving said: previous generations were “bitterly divided over something that should have been so clear and right.”
Today, with the signing of the Respect for Marriage Act, we celebrate our progress.
There are few things as clear and right as marriage equality.”
The same Instagram post shows a photo of The White House lit up beautifully in rainbow colors.
A report by NBC News states that “President Joe Biden signed legislation Tuesday to codify federal protections for same-sex and interracial marriages in a ceremony at the White House.
Vice President Kamala Harris, first lady Jill Biden and second gentleman Doug Emhoff also attended.”
Biden said, “Today is a good day, a day America takes a vital step toward equality, toward liberty and justice, not just for some, but for everyone.”
The same article writes that “Biden emphasized bipartisan support for the legislation, passed by Congress last week while calling for more to be done, including a renewed push for a bill to prohibit discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation or gender identity.”
In related news from the NY Times, “President Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act into law on Tuesday, mandating federal recognition for same-sex marriages and capping his own personal evolution toward embracing gay rights over the course of a four-decade political career.
In an elaborate signing ceremony on the South Lawn, complete with musical performances from Cyndi Lauper and Sam Smith, Mr. Biden told thousands of supporters and lawmakers that the new law represents a rare moment of bipartisanship when Democrats and Republicans came together.”
“My fellow Americans, the road to this moment has been long, but those who believe in equality and justice, you never gave up,” Mr. Biden told the crowd, which White House officials later said had 5,300 people, before signing the bill to loud cheers. He added: “We got it done. We’re going to continue the work ahead. I promise you.”
The report adds that “the landmark legislation, passed by a bipartisan coalition in Congress, officially erases the Defense of Marriage Act, which a quarter of a century ago formally defined marriage as between a man and a woman. The new law prohibits states from denying the validity of out-of-state marriages based on sex, race or ethnicity.”
Furthermore, CNN also reported, “For Biden, Tuesday’s event bookended a moment a decade ago that helped spark a national political transformation on the issue. When he was serving a vice president, Biden shocked the country with an unexpected declaration delivered in an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press”: He came out in public support of same-sex marriage for the first time.”
“I am absolutely comfortable with the fact that men marrying men, women marrying women, and heterosexual men and women marrying another are entitled to the same exact rights, all the civil rights, all the civil liberties,” Biden said when asked whether he was comfortable with same-sex marriage.
CNN also writes, “Those words – which Biden insisted in subsequent years were unplanned – marked a stunning personal evolution for the longtime creature of Washington, who as senator had voted to block federal recognition of same-sex marriages and previously insisted that marriage should only take place between a man and a woman.”
NBC News adds, “The legislation Biden signed was drafted by a bipartisan group led by Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., the first openly gay person elected to the Senate. It will ensure that the federal government recognizes marriages and guarantee full benefits “regardless of the couple’s sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin.” The law will not, however, require states to issue marriage licenses contrary to state laws.
The House voted 258-169 to pass the Respect for Marriage Act last week, sending it to the president. The Senate had already passed it late last month by a vote of 61-36. Democrats unanimously voted to support the legislation, while most Republicans in both chambers opposed it.
Biden signed the bill Tuesday a decade after he came out in public support of same-sex marriage, a change for Biden, who had voted against recognition of same-sex marriages when he was a senator.”
Banner photo via Instagram @potus.
