The House gave its approval on protecting same-sex marriages after decades
On Thursday, December 8, The House gave final approval to legislation recognizing and protecting same-sex marriages with a vote of 258 to 169. This step marks a crucial turning point in the history of the United States.
Passing of the same-sex marriage bill: what it entails
The bill has been forwarded to President Joe Biden, who said he would sign it. This move will make same-sex marriages legal and protected in all states. Once the President approves it, hundreds of thousands of couples can take a sigh of relief.
Biden, in a statement, called this bill an essential step in ensuring that Americans have the legal right to marry the love of their life regardless of their gender, ethnicity, race, and nationality. He hoped this step would provide hope to people across the country who know that their country and government recognize and respect the families they decide to have and build.
The legislation is all set to protect interactional unions as well.
The hurdles that opposed the legislation
The months-long negotiations ended when the Senate passed the bill on Thursday. The move came after the Supreme Court overturned the right to abortions in June. This potentially threatened the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision that legalized same-sex marriage.
Republicans did say that it’s not likely to happen and that the same-sex bill was not needed; however, the GOP supporters and Democrats wanted to be on the safe side.
Most republicans opposed the legislation publicly, along with a few conservative groups that argued that this bill is not protecting people who oppose giving services to same-sex couples. Adding to that, Rep. Bob Good said that God’s design is to hold a marriage between a man and a woman for their entire life and that what others think does not matter against the Bible.
Rep. Vicky Hartzler, similarly, begged her colleagues not to vote for the bill because it undermines the natural sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman. She went on to state that her priorities are protecting religious liberty, protecting Americans and people of faith who still believe in what marriage means.
Democrats in the Senate worked with Republic senators to address any concerns. They clarified that this bill does not take away the rights of people and businesses and does not endorse polygamy. This made several religious groups support the bill, including the Church of Jesus, Christ of Latter-day Saints and The Mormon Church.
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