In front of a crowd of nearly 3,000 people, President Joe Biden (D) signed the Respect for Marriage Act, a law which officially repealed the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), the 1996 law that forbade the federal government from legally recognizing same-sex marriages.
The law also requires the federal and state governments to recognize same-sex marriages as long as they occur in states where they are legal.
If any state refuses to recognize such marriages the spouses can sue under the new law. “Racism, antisemitism, homophobia, transphobia: They’re all connected,” Biden said before signing the law, according to LGBTQ Nation. “The antidote to hate is love.
This law and beloved defense strike a blow against hate in all its forms. And that’s why this law matters to every single American, no matter who you are or who you love.” The D.C.