On September 16, APA issued a letter of support to Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) (PDF, 141KB) for the Respect for Marriage Act. This bipartisan legislation, spearheaded by Feinstein, repeals the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act passed in 1996, enshrines marriage equality in federal law, and provides additional legal protections for same-sex and interracial couples. A vote on the bill was delayed until after the November mid-term elections, and a bipartisan group of senators, led by Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), continue to have discussions on the scope of the bill.
Marriage can offer substantial psychological and physical health benefits due to the moral, economic, and social support extended to married couples. Policies restricting marriage rights exact harmful psychological effects on those denied these benefits by their state’s laws. For more information about LGBTQ+ marriage, visit the Marriage and Family Issues for LGBT People webpage.
Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson to overturn the decision in Roe v. Wade, therefore removing the constitutional right to abortion, opponents have been emboldened to try to reverse other rights codified in Supreme Court decisions, including marriage equality. You can register your support for the Respect for Marriage Act by sending a message to your senator through this action alert.
For more information, contact Leo Rennie, MPA.