Some community groups in Delaware are praising the bipartisan passage of the Respect for Marriage Act in the U.S. Senate.
After Roe v Wade was overturned in June, CAMP Rehoboth and others feared the constitutional right for LGBTQ+ partners to marry could follow.
Leslie Ledogar, Vice President of CAMP Rehoboth’s Board of Directors, says this legislation mitigates some of those concerns
“In Delaware we already have the right to marry whoever it is that you please, but there are 35 states that have statues or constitutional amendments that ban same sex marriage,” said Ledogar.
Delaware codified same-sex marriage in 2013, but if the Supreme Court’s Obergefell v. Hodges decision were to fall like Roe, same-sex marriages in Delaware wouldn’t be recognized in states with bans.
Ledoger adds the Respect for Marriage Act doesn’t provide the same protection as Obergefell does, but is a step in the right direction.
The Respect for Marriage Act doesn’t require states to allow same-sex marriage, but it does require states and the federal government to recognize marriages conducted in the 15 states where they are legal.
The act passed with bipartisan support.
Dwayne Bensing is the Legal Director for the ACLU of Delaware. He agrees with Ledoger that the act’s protection doesn’t quite compare to Obergefell, but says passing it shows a shift in Republican opinion on LGBTQ+ rights.
“It’s really remarkable to see the bipartisan support of the Respect for Marriage Act- that now some Republican senators and congress people do recognize that there are loving relationships that are worthy of the institution of marriage,” said Bensing.
Both of Delaware’s senators, Tom Carper and Chris Coons, voted for the Respect for Marriage Act.
Both Senators made note of the bill’s bipartisan support, with Senator Carper making note that the Senate’s decision embraced the Golden Rule: ‘treat others the way you want to be treated.’
“Let me be clear: today’s vote to protect same-sex marriage says to the Supreme Court and to the American people that we are not going back,” said Carper in a statement released Tuesday evening. “LGBTQ+ Americans can now rest assured that they are afforded equal dignity under the law, and I look forward to this bill being signed into law by President Biden to make it official.”
The Respect for Marriage Act passed by a vote of 61-36, and President Biden promises to sign the legislation into law “promptly and proudly” after it is passed in the House.
