Biden Signs US Same-Sex Marriage Recognition Bill... "A Step Toward Equality"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] U.S. President Joe Biden on the 13th (local time) gave his final signature to the same-sex marriage legalization bill passed by Congress.

President Biden, after signing the "Respect for Marriage Act" at the White House that day, said, "This is a significant step toward equality and justice for all."

He added, "Marriage is about 'who you love' and 'being faithful to the person you love,' nothing more complicated than that," and stated, "This law recognizes that everyone has the right to answer these questions without government interference."

The signing ceremony held at the South Lawn of the White House was attended by about 2,000 people, including First Lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband Douglas Emhoff, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

This bill, which recognizes the validity of same-sex marriages nationwide in the U.S., passed the House on the 9th after previously passing the Senate. It includes the repeal of the 1996 "Defense of Marriage Act," which defined marriage as between a man and a woman and prohibited federal benefits related to marriage for same-sex couples.

While it does not force all state governments to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, it prohibits states from refusing to recognize marriages legally performed in other states based on sex, race, or ethnicity. This means marriages performed in states where same-sex marriage is legal must be recognized throughout the United States.

In the U.S., the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in 2015 with the "Obergefell v. Hodges" ruling. However, since several states still have laws banning same-sex marriage, there are concerns that if the conservative-leaning Supreme Court overturns the 2015 ruling, same-sex marriage rights could become as precarious as abortion rights. This concern led to the enactment of the current law.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.