RALEIGH, N.C. — The Respect for Marriage Act has passed a procedural hurdle in the U.S. Senate, and if approved after Thanksgiving it stands to codify same-sex marriage in the U.S.
What You Need To Know
The Respect for Marriage Act would give same-sex marriage broader recognition
Sen. Thom Tillis said the bill won't officially pass until after Thanksgiving
It needs two more votes before a final vote in the Senate
Nancy Petty is a pastor in Raleigh, who also happens to a member of the LGBTQ community, and she said she's witnessed firsthand the heartbreak of people not being respected in their marriages. But thanks to action on the part of Congress, she now feels one step closer to true equality.
“For someone whom marriage equality — marriage — was denied for so long, we don't for one day take it for granted that we were able to legally marry,” Petty said.
Although, it still needs to officially clear the Senate, be approved in the House and signed into law by President Biden, Petty said it still feels like a victory for the LGBTQ community.
“Just the title is huge,” Petty said. “That my marriage to my wife will be respected now, not asking everybody to agree with it ... but respect is key in that and so that is a huge difference for me ... I am a person of worth, I belong here, in this society, in this culture, and there is a level of respect that every human being deserves.”
The Senate took an already existing House bill and tweaked it slightly. Because of this, the House will only have to accept the changes to its bill rather than starting the approval process all over again.
If adopted, the bill will then move to the president's desk for signing.
The bill would give same-sex marriage broader recognition, something Petty said has been lacking since same-sex marriage was first made legal nationwide in 2015.
“I think the people have spoken, and they've said this is important, and we want to protect people's right to marry who they love,” Petty said.
Petty also said the Senate should be affirmed and thanked for the work they did to negotiate this bill and garner bipartisan support. It passed with 62 votes in its favor, which included 12 Republicans.
“It just brings joy to my heart because we are a better people, we're a better country, we're a better humanity when we include and respect one another,” Petty said.
Prior to the vote the sponsors for the bill — including North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis — issued a statement saying the bill “protects Americans’ religious liberties and diverse beliefs, while leaving intact the core mission of the legislation to protect marriage equality.”
This bill won’t change the legality of same-sex marriage, or any part of Petty or her wife’s lives on a day-to-day basis. It would however require the federal government to recognize any legal marriage between two individuals, regardless of ethnicity or gender. It also guarantees that valid marriages of any kind be given the same treatment and respect — as the bill’s title suggests.
“What it really means to me is that generations of people going forward, generations of same gender-loving people, people who love in different ways won't have to face the same fears and challenges that previous generations faced,” Petty said.