In response to the United States Senate passing the Respect for Marriage Act, the Los Angeles LGBT Center issued the following statement:
With a 61-to-36 vote in the Senate, the Respect for Marriage Act has passed a crucial test. Marriage equality is one step closer to being enshrined and protected in federal law thanks to a bipartisan effort by the majority of our Senators. Now the bill heads to the House for final approval before being sent to the President’s desk.
“This is a necessary and momentous occasion for the LGBTQ movement, and we look forward to President Biden signing this incredible achievement once it arrives on his desk,” said Joey Espinoza-Hernández, Director of Policy & Community Building at the Los Angeles LGBT Center. “While this is cause for celebration, there is still much more work to be done for our community’s liberation.”
While this is a moment of elation for many in our movement, we acknowledge that it comes on the heels of a devastating blow to our civil liberties. The urgency for the federal protection of marriage equality came after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, threatening the bodily autonomy and reproductive justice of countless Americans. Even this bill was amended to include language that will expand potentially anti-LGBTQ+ religious exemptions and outlaw polyamorous relationships. This underscores the urgent need for a community-based effort—beyond our courts and our legislatures—to protect our communities.
