United States President Joe Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act into law on Tuesday, December 13, 2022, marking a historic milestone for LGBTQ+ rights in the country. The bill, which received overwhelming bipartisan support in both the House and Senate, repeals the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and provides federal recognition and protections for same-sex and interracial marriages..
DOMA, enacted in 1996, defined marriage as a union between one man and one woman, denying federal benefits to same-sex couples. The Supreme Court struck down key provisions of DOMA in 2013, but the law remained in effect, casting a shadow over the rights of LGBTQ+ Americans..
The Respect for Marriage Act repeals DOMA and requires states to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. It also protects interracial marriages, which were legalized nationwide in 1967 with the Supreme Court’s decision in Loving v. Virginia..
President Biden hailed the passage of the Respect for Marriage Act as a .
