The City of West Hollywood applauds the United States Senate passage of the Respect for Marriage Act, which would mandate federal recognition for marriage equality for same-sex couples and interracial couples.
The bill was approved by the Senate in a 61-to-36 bipartisan vote. It will now return to the United States House of Representatives for approval and if approved President Biden has indicated that he will sign it into law alongside the bipartisan coalition that helped get it passed.
The Respect for Marriage Act (RFMA) would require that all states recognize same-sex and interracial marriages performed in any other state if the marriage was valid in the state where it was performed. It would not require that states individually allow these marriages to be performed, nor would it force states to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. It includes a bipartisan amendment that clarifies protections for religious liberties. Importantly, the RFMA recognizes same-sex marriages for consideration of federal benefits such as Medicare and Social Security. The RFMA would repeal the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which defined marriage as the union of one man and one woman and allowed states to decline to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states.
“The Respect for Marriage Act specifically repeals and replaces provisions that defined marriage and spouse in a way that was discriminatory to same-sex marriage,” said City of West Hollywood Mayor Lauren Meister. “It requires all marriages to be recognized across the country, no matter where the marriage is performed. Although this is long overdue, it is a positive step for marriage equality for both same-sex marriages and interracial marriages.”
“I am so elated that the Respect for Marriage Act was passed by the Senate and will be signed into law! Congress did the right thing,” said City of West Hollywood Mayor Pro Tempore Sepi Shyne. “All couples deserve the equal right of marriage whether interracial or no matter what a person’s sexual orientation is. Equality wins. Love wins. Choice wins. We all win.”
“It’s clear this a big win for equality and fairness, and this is meaningful for all Americans,” said Councilmember John D’Amico. “But for me, this is another blistering reminder that even though the U.S. Constitution asserts that everyone in America is ‘created equal,’ equality remains a mediated state often available in uneven amounts.”
“While I’m very happy that a bipartisan group of Congresspeople have passed the Respect for Marriage Act, we must continue to do all we can to ensure that marriage equality remains the law of the land, everywhere,” said Councilmember John M. Erickson. “As we were very recently reminded by the Supreme Court regarding abortion, states can enact discriminatory bans and disenfranchise entire groups of people very quickly. We must remain vigilant, and we must always use our voice and vote for pro-equality candidates.”
“With the Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court ruling in 2015, we celebrated a proud moment in our nation’s history as marriage equality became the law of the land,” said Councilmember Lindsey P. Horvath. “Today’s Senate vote is vitally important in affirming federal protections for same-sex and interracial marriages. I celebrate this victory for LGBTQ+ rights as we continue the fight for full equality for all people.”
The City of West Hollywood has been one of the most outspoken cities in the nation to advocate for the legal rights of LGBTQ people. In 1985, the City of West Hollywood was one of the first cities in the country to adopt a Domestic Partnership Ordinance. In October 2014, the City marked an exciting milestone as the City Clerk’s office at West Hollywood City Hall filed its 10,000th couple as registered Domestic Partners.
West Hollywood was one of the first cities in the country to pass a resolution in support of marriage equality. This paved the way for same-sex marriage initiatives all over the country. In June 2008, in a monumental moment in U.S. history, the city, in conjunction with the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, began to issue marriage licenses and perform civil ceremonies for same-sex couples after the California Supreme Court ruled that a ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. The City was forced to halt those marriages in November 2008 with the passage of Proposition 8, a constitutional amendment prohibiting same-sex marriage. A long legal battle ensued in federal court, which finally resulted in the U.S. Supreme Court dismissing an appeal in Hollingsworth v. Perry in June 2013 allowing same-sex marriages to resume. On June 26, 2015, the City of West Hollywood celebrated the historic U.S. Supreme Court decision regarding marriage equality in the Obergefell v. Hodges case, which required that all states must license and recognize same-sex marriages, with a rally attended by thousands of people. Video and photos from this event are available for viewing on the City’s online YouTube and Flickr pages.
