Respect for Marriage Act: US Senate passes bill to protect same-gender marriages. Read to know

The US Senate has passed the bill protecting same-gender marriages in the United States. According to media reports, the Respect for Marriage Act was passed with a 61-36 majority vote. The Democrats got support from 12 Republicans, which was enough to get the bill to be placed in the House.

Some media reports claimed that the Democrats were in a hurry to get the bill passed and signed by US President Joe Biden as the Republicans would be taking over the House by next year. Steny Hoyer, the leader of Democrats in the House, said the bill could be passed as soon as Tuesday, December 6.

The Respect for Marriage Act would make it mandatory for the states to recognize all kinds of marriages performed legally, including those performed in other states. The bill would also protect interracial marriages, making it an obligation for the states to recognize legal marriages regardless of gender, ethnicity, race, or national origin.




The Movement Advancement Project claimed that about 70% of people in the US supported same-gender marriage. However, the group claimed that if the US Supreme Court overturned the right, at least 29 states might enforce bans, which is why the Respect for Marriage Act was important legislation for the LGBTQ+ community. However, it was also reported that the new legislation did not codify the Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell vs Hodges from 2015, which declared same-gender marriages legal across the country.

Following the majority vote in the Senate on Tuesday, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of the Democratic Party said that legislation would place the right to marry out of the Supreme Court’s authority. The LGBTQ & HIV Rights Project at the American Civil Liberties Union criticized the Supreme Court, stating that it was becoming increasingly radical and that LGBTQ+ rights were under attack across the United States.

FAQs:

1. How many votes did the bill get in the Senate?
   The bill got a 61-36 majority vote.
2. How many Republican Senators voted for the bill?
   Twelve Republican Senators supported the bill.