President Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act at a White House rite Tuesday, organising federal protections for same-sex and interracial marriages.

“Today is a superb day,” he said. “A day America takes a critical step closer to equality, closer to liberty and justice, now no longer only for a few however for everyone. To growing a state in which decency, dignity and love are recognized, commemorated and protected. “

The South Lawn rite featured masses of enthusiastic guests, musical performances and comments from Vice President Kamala Harris, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Among the ones acting become singer Cyndi Lauper, who spoke at a press briefing in advance withinside the day, saying, “Bless Joe Biden and all of the humans that labored in this for permitting humans now no longer to fear and their kids now no longer to fear approximately their future.”

Biden praised the bipartisan attempt in Congress and the a long time of felony battles from couples preventing for marriage equality, inclusive of the 1967 Loving v. Virginia ruling, which struck down laws in 16 states that banned interracial marriage.

“My fellow Americans, the street to this second has been long, however folks that believed in equality and justice, you by no means gave up, a lot of you’re status at the South Lawn here,” Biden said. “So a lot of you positioned your relationships on the road, your jobs on the road, your lives on the road to combat for the law I’m approximately to sign. For me and the complete state, thank you, thank you, thank you.”

The push for the invoice got here amid fears that the conservative majority at the Supreme Court ought to overturn the 2015 ruling Obergefell v. Hodges, which discovered that same-sex couples have the proper to marry. If Obergefell have been to fall, person states could be allowed to determine their coverage on same-sex marriage, simply as this summer time season’s overturning of Roe v. Wade allowed states to adjust abortion get admission to.

The law does now no longer pressure any nation to permit same-sex marriages however does require it to apprehend a union that came about in every other nation. Under the new law, each nation will must apprehend felony marriages regardless of “sex, race, ethnicity or countrywide origin” and to assure get admission to to federal spousal blessings and protections.

The law repeals a provision of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, that allowed states to discriminate in opposition to same-sex couples, including that “an person will be taken into consideration married if that person’s marriage is among 2 people and is legitimate withinside the State in which the marriage become entered into.” The law additionally lets in person churches to refuse to keep same-sex weddings, a part of religious freedom language used to court the essential Republican votes withinside the Senate.

Jim Obergefell, the plaintiff withinside the case that bore his name, advised CNN final month that he become now no longer celebrating.

“I will say I’m glad that as a minimum some thing has been done, some thing that we are able to must fall returned on must the Supreme Court overturn Obergefell withinside the future, however this act, I discover it curious that it is known as the Respect for Marriage Act, due to the fact this act does now no longer recognize LGBTQ+ community, our marriages, our relationships or our families,” he said. “The reality that this act could permit states to another time deny marriage licenses to same-sex couples — in which is the honor in that?”

Biden stated for the duration of his comments that the fight isn’t done, bringing up the want for the Equality Act, which could enlarge federal civil rights protections from discrimination in regions like housing and employment to LGBTQ humans.

“When someone may be married withinside the morning and thrown out of a restaurant for being gay withinside the afternoon, that is nevertheless wrong,” Biden said. “That’s why the humans you heard communicate nowadays keep to combat to pass the Equality Act. When hospitals, libraries and network facilities are threatened and intimidated due to the fact they guide LGBTQ kids and families, we’ve got to talk out.”

The Respect for Marriage Act exceeded the House final week and the Senate on the stop of November. Every Democratic legislator in each chambers voted in guide, with 12 Republican senators and 39 GOP House participants additionally voting yes.

When the invoice exceeded the Senate final month, Schumer known as it “vindication” for the plan that he and different supporters evolved to put off pushing for the rules till after the midterm elections, saying, “The wait become worth it.”

Enthusiasm for codifying protections for same-sex marriages elevated this summer time season after the Supreme Court overturned Roe and stripped tens of thousands and thousands of Americans of get admission to to abortion. In his concurring opinion, Justice Clarence Thomas cautioned the court reconsider its positions on gay marriage and contraceptives. His comments came as Republicans throughout the united states of america have elevated their anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and legislative proposals, whilst law enforcement has warned of capacity threats to the LGBTQ network. The president stated each Thomas’s opinion and the wave of rules concentrated on transgender youngsters for the duration of his speech Tuesday afternoon.

The signing of the invoice maintains a personal evolution for Biden. As a senator he voted for DOMA in 1996, however as vp he publicly supported same-sex marriage earlier than then-President Barack Obama in 2012, saying, “I am genuinely snug with the reality that guys marrying guys, girls marrying girls and heterosexual men and women marrying each other are entitled to the same exact rights, all of the civil rights.”

Supporters praised Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., the primary overtly gay senator, for her work to barter the rules, with Biden calling her “a actual hero.” After the invoice exceeded the House final week, the primary congressman to voluntarily pop out as gay, Barney Frank, touted her efforts.

“Tammy, thru her very own lifestyles experience, understood what problems this [the possibility of Obergefell being overturned] brought about for same-sex married couples all around the country, and he or she understood that resolving the ones fears become a lot extra essential than any political issues,” the longtime Massachusetts congressman, who retired in 2012, said. “She stood up, and he or she become confirmed proper. And I wish humans will now take this for example of accountable legislating, now no longer being panicked through humans who’ve extra emotion than intelligence on an issue. I simply desired to pay tribute to one of the superb legislative achievements I’ve ever seen, Tammy shepherding this invoice thru.”