DECEMBER 13, 2022

Biden signs same-sex marriage bill at White House Ceremony

CenterLink’s Statement on the Signing of the Respect for Marriage Act

Today President Biden signed into law a bipartisan bill that will protect same-sex and interracial marriages with a celebration at the White House that included many LGBTQ+ community center leaders. 

The Respect for Marriage Act​ is an important bill that will do two primary things. First, it repeals DOMA and gets this anti-marriage federal law off the books. It will require the federal government to recognize a marriage between two individuals if the marriage was valid in the state where it was performed. Second, the bill will guarantee that valid marriages between two individuals are given full faith and credit, regardless of the couple’s sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin. The bill will not require a state to issue a marriage license contrary to state law. 

Passing the Respect for Marriage Act is a crucial step toward protecting LGBTQ+ couples and to ensure the dignity, stability and ongoing protection that marriage affords to families and children. Like the freedom to marry, a majority of Americans support measures that protect LGBTQ+ people from discrimination in all aspects of daily life. CenterLink will continue to work to ensure that the momentum we’re seeing for the freedom to marry is carried over into ongoing efforts to secure federal nondiscrimination protections for all Americans.