Today, in a ceremony at the White House attended by over five thousand people, President Joe Biden signed into law H.R. 8404, the Respect for Marriage Act, “which establishes statutory authority for same-sex and interracial marriages and repeals provisions of law that once prevented any State or territory from being required to give effect to a same-sex marriage from another State or territory.”
With the stroke of a pen, the discriminatory “Defense of Marriage” Act from the 1990s was finally repealed and the right wing Supreme Court put on notice that this country won’t stand for the overturning the landmark Obergefell decision.
Biden was flanked by Vice President Kamala Harris, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, First Lady Jill Biden, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and several members of Congress as he signed H.R. 8404. He gave the pen he used to sign the bill — one of several ceremonial pens — to a delighted Vice President Harris.
Watch the bill signing:
The ignorance of many right wing commenters was on display on the White House’s social networking channels. Randy Haynes, apparently unaware that the “Defense of Marriage” Act was still on the books (laws struck down as unconstitutional don’t magically disappear of their own accord) whined: “So it was already a law and now it’s a double law? No, it’s called a diversion from real issues this administration refuses to address. Don’t fall for it folks.”
“It has nothing to do with respect for marriage,” griped Rhonda Sartain.
Actually, that is exactly what it is about. It’s a very descriptive bill title!
Not content with that unimaginative retort, Sartain went on: “People have been able to marry whoever they wanted for years!!! They tacked on so much nonsense. Going after Christians, churches, children, etc. This administration and the people who voted for them are insanely corrupt and uneducated.”
Exactly what “nonsense” has been tacked onto this simple bill? It was so sensible, in fact, that even Republican representatives and senators voted for it, allowing it to clear the U.S. Senate’s ridiculously high cloture bar.
Musician Cyndi Lauper, who performed at the bill signing, told the White House press corps that she was honored and delighted to be part of the ceremony.
“I just want to tell you, I came here because I wanted to just say thank you to President Biden, Speaker Pelosi, Vice President Harris, and all the advocates, and his team. For — for once, a lot of families — mine and a lot of my friends and people you know — sometimes your neighbors — we can rest easy tonight because our families are validated and because now we’re allowed to love who we love, which sounds odd to say. But Americans can now love who we love.”
“And bless Joe Biden and all the people that worked on this for allowing people not to worry and their children not to worry about their future,” Lauper added.
