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Tuesday, December 13, 2022

Biden Signs Respect for Marriage Act



In a ceremony at the south front of the White House, President Biden today signed the Respect for Marriage Act into law, thereby extending the protections of federal law to millions of gay, lesbian, and interracial couples nationwide.  A landmark piece of legislation that wipes DOMA off the books.

And I have lived to see this day.

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2 comments:

Frank said...

I celebrate this event, this victory...But should it come to pass that Obergefell is overturned and some states deny issuing marriage licenses, even if they are required to accept marriages performed out of state, there will be a fundamental inequality of same-sex marriages. Requiring couples to go to another state to get married would impose an undue burden on a whole class of people. This will likely result in a slew of lawsuits.

Also, this bill.. "codifies the rights of religious nonprofits — including 
faith-based institutions, mission organizations, religious educational institutions and others — to not celebrate or, in some instances, recognize a marriage that conflicts with their faith. In doing so, such organizations are allowed to deny “services, accommodations, advantages, facilities, goods, or privileges for the solemnization or celebration of a marriage.” (Colorado Newsline).

As much as I celebrate the signing of the Respect For Marriage bill, these religious exemptions still make me feel like my marriage is not quite equal or is "conditional marriage".

If my husband has a medical emergency and is rushed to the nearest hospital that happens to be affiliated with a fundamentalist religion that does not recognize our marriage, will I be allowed spousal privileges? be able to make medical decisions? It is not clear to me at this point.

Although medical situations are not "solemnization or celebration of a marriage" I can foresee religious factions trying to use this exemption in ways to deny equality.

December 14, 2022 at 8:05 AM
Russ Manley said...

Welcome to America. Nobody gets everything they want when they want it. But most people get most of what they want most of the time.

I agree with your points; but I say the glass is half-full. Yes, there will still be problems to deal with; but Frank, just remember how much things have improved in our lifetimes. It was only a few years ago that we were all terrified of coming out at work - in church - to our friends - to our families. The only gays you ever saw in movies either crazy or criminal and they always ended up dead before the show was over. I wish you would stop fretting so much about the what-ifs of the future and just take a moment to be grateful for the present. It would do you good. Grin.

And frankly, I really don't care if a church, or the Knights of Columbus, or a baker or florist or printer doesn't want to "do" gay marriages. If they are that backwards, I don't want to do business with them! This idea that we have to FORCE everybody to accept us is NOT the way to complete acceptance. It's dictatorial. And it stinks. There's such a thing as a reasonable compromise between all-or-nothing, ya know?

That's my 2c. Your mileage may vary.

December 14, 2022 at 7:14 PM

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