Lagatar24 Desk
Washington, Dec 14: US President Joe Biden on Tuesday signed into law a bill granting federal protections to same-sex marriage, with a large crowd of guests gathered at the White House to celebrate the legislative milestone.
“America takes another step toward equality, liberty and justice, not just for some, but for all,” Joe Biden said during the signing ceremony on Tuesday afternoon.
Today is a good day.
Today, America takes another step toward equality. Toward liberty and justice not just for some, but for all.
Because today, I sign the Respect for Marriage Act into law.— President Biden (@POTUS) December 13, 2022
In the celebration, Joe Biden was gathered with a group of Republican and Democratic lawmakers on the White House grounds. Several plaintiffs of LGBTQ rights legal cases stood on the steps behind Biden as he spoke. Biden was also joined by first lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., spoke before Biden, and artists Sam Smith and Cindy Lauper also performed.
The Respect for Marriage Act does not guarantee the right to marry. It specifies that states must recognize same-sex marriages across state lines and that same-sex couples have the same federal benefits as any married couple.
Despite Tuesday’s excitement, there was concern about the nationwide proliferation of conservative policies on gender issues at the state level.
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Biden criticized the “callous, cynical laws introduced in the states targeting transgender children, terrifying families and criminalizing doctors who give children the care they need.”
Moreover, Tuesday’s ceremony marks another chapter in Biden’s legacy on gay rights, which includes his surprise endorsement of marriage equality in 2012.
Biden has pushed to expand LGBT rights since taking office. He reversed President Donald Trump’s efforts to strip transgender people of anti-discrimination protections. His administration includes the first openly gay Cabinet member, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and the first transgender person to receive Senate confirmation, Assistant Secretary for Health Rachel Levine.
