December 8, 2022
WASHINGTON – The U.S. House of Representatives voted 258-169 in favor of a historic piece of legislation enshrining protections for same-sex marriage into federal law. The Respect for Marriage Act ensures that the federal government recognizes a same-sex marriage, even if a couple moves to a state that does not. It also repeals the Defense of Marriage Act, which defined marriage as between a man and a woman.
The House vote comes a little over a week after the Senate voted 61-36 for pass the bill, with 12 Republicans joining every Democrat to approve the measure. The Senate bill included an amendment to include religious liberty protections, an addition that was necessary to gain the requisite support from GOP senators.
Following the bill’s passage, the IATSE Pride Committee issued the following statement:
The IATSE Pride Committee celebrates the passage of the Respect for Marriage Act (RFMA) which protects the freedom to marry and repeals the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). This became a much-needed law after we saw Roe v. Wade overturned and a woman’s right to choose taken away overnight. RFMA requires same-sex and interracial marriages to be recognized in any state if the marriages were valid in the state where it was performed. This law codifies two important US Supreme Court decisions, Loving v. Virginia and Obergefell v. Hodges, that legalized interracial and same-sex marriage respectively. This bipartisan legislation ensures that loving couples, no matter their race or gender makeup, will continue to have the right to marry.
The bill now heads to President Biden’s desk to receive his signature and become law. IATSE applauds Congress for ensuring the rights of our members and their families are protected regardless the ideological bias of current or future U.S. Supreme Court justices.
