Same-sex legislation

news | 5 Respect for Marriage Act signed into law

Hannah Conn ’23 Web Managing Editor

The Respect for Marriage Act (RFMA) was signed into law by President Joe Biden on Dec. 13. e RFMA was designed to ensure the legality of marriage without discrimination based on gender, sexual orientation, national origin, ethnicity or race in all 50 states. ough it does not force states themselves to provide marriage licenses to LGBTQ+ or interracial couples, it does require that they legally and medically recognize marriages con rmed in other states. is bill would repeal and replace the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which de ned marriage as the “union of one man and one woman” and allowed states to decline to recognize same-sex marriages, even if the legal ceremony was performed in other states. is bill’s purpose hits close to home for science teacher and Staples PRIDE co-advisor Kayla Iannetta.

“ is allows us to move from state to state, regardless of how we can be treated socially by people. [We will] still be legally and medically treated the same way as any straight person or couple,” Iannetta said. “It relieves a lot of anxiety and stress about traveling outside of the safety of our North East bubble.” e RFMA was rst introduced to the House of Representatives by Congressman Jer-

“ry Nalder from N e w York on July 18. After the RFMA passed t h e House on July 19, Nalder issued a press release commenting on the news.

“ e ght for marriage equality has seen many highs and lows, but perhaps none more frightening than the current threat posed by Clarence omas and this conservative Supreme Court,” Nalder said. “Today’s vote was about protecting the children and loving families whose whole lives rely on the constitutional guarantee of marriage equality.” e RFMA passed with bipartisan e ort in both chambers of Congress. In the House of Representatives, 47 Republicans joined all 220 voting Democrats; in the Senate, 12 Republicans and 2 Independents joined 47 Democrats. Chris Fray, an openly gay Mandarin teacher at Staples, sees both the bene ts and the drawbacks of the bipartisanship. “On the one hand, back when gay marriage was made legal during the Obergefell case, a surprising amount of support came from Repub-

licans throughout the country,” Fray said. “On the other hand, the MAGA Trump era of antisemitic, racist and gay and transphobic rhetoric is not yet in our collective rearview mirror. e number of Republicans in Congress who cravenly acquiesced to Trump and his base is an important lesson in how fragile congressional bipartisanship truly is.” In Connecticut, gay marriage was legalized in 2008. e decision followed a state court decision that found the state’s civil unions failed to provide same-sex couples with the proper rights and privileges equivalent to those of marriage between straight couples. Interracial marriage has been legal in Connecticut since 1967. Sophia Velloti ’23 followed the course of the bill moving through Congress closely, predicting the bill’s passage but celebrating nonetheless as it passed in the Senate. “Since we live in Connecticut, these rights are already teacher and Staples PRIDE guaranteed to us, which I’ve co-advisor Kayla Iannetta. always really appreciated and “ is allows us to move loved,” Velloti said. “If I wantfrom state to state, regardless ed to move outside of Conof how we can be treated so- necticut, though, this bill is cially by people. [We will] important to securing my marstill be legally and riage with whomever I love and medically treated marry in the future, regardless the same way of their gender or race.”

Supreme Court,” Nalder said. “Today’s vote was about procase, a surprising amount of support came from Repubguaranteed to us, which I’ve always really appreciated and loved,” Velloti said. “If I wanted to move outside of Connecticut, though, this bill is important to securing my marriage with whomever I love and marry in the future, regardless of their gender or race.”

If I wanted to move outside of Connecticut, this bill is important to securing my marriage with whomever I love and marry in the future, regardless of their gender or race.” - Sophia Velloti ’23

2004

MA legalizes same-sex marriage

2016

Same-sex marriage legalized

1996

Same-sex marriage banned

The Road to Marriage Equality

1967

Interracial marriage legalized

2022

Roe v. Wade overturned Graphic by Ella Tobben ‘24

2022

RFMA signed into law