House passes bill to protect same-sex marriage on bipartisan vote
The U.S. House approved on Tuesday with significant bipartisan support the Respect for Marriage Act, signaling support for ensuring marriage rights for same-sex couples amid fears basic rights are at threat in the aftermath of the U.S.
Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. Lawmakers approved the measure, introduced by Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), by an 267-`157 vote.
The Washington Blade will updated details on the vote breakdown when they become available from the clerk’s office. Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.), a Black lawmaker who one’s of nine openly gay or lesbian members of Congress, was among those who spoke on the House floor ahead of the floor and said the vote on the measure was “personal” for him. “I still remember where I was on June 24, 2011 — the day the New York State legislature passed marriage equality,” Jones said. “I was living with friends in New York City, but I was still closeted, and I was so afraid still that someone might find out the truth about my being gay.
So, instead, I closed the door to my room and cried tears of joy by my lonesome. Finally, my home state of New York had recognized me as a full human being.
