SIECUS Celebrates Passage of the Respect for Marriage Act

President Biden signed into law a bill to protect and support same-sex and interracial marriage.

WASHINGTON – Today, President Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act, a bipartisan bill that codified same-sex and interracial marriages in the United States. This landmark legislation was in response to threats made within the Dobbs v. Jackson decision, where the Supreme Court revoked the Constitutional right to abortion care. The Dobbs decision raised the alarm that other Supreme Court precedents under the right to privacy, including Loving v. Virginia and Obergefell v. Hodges, might come under attack by the conservative extremists on the Supreme Court.

Christine Soyong Harley, President and CEO of SIECUS, released the following statement:

“SIECUS has, and always will, affirm that human sexuality is a fundamental right, one worthy of dignity and respect regardless of race, gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation. Love is love, period.

We applaud Congress and the President for taking the necessary steps to protect the equal right of all Americans to express their love and commitment through marriage should they choose it. The Respect for Marriage Act is an essential step towards creating an inclusive and affirming culture that respects the diversity of lived experiences for all Americans.

We also understand that we still have more work to do. Same-sex couples do not have equality when there are states actively working today to put laws in place that deny discussion of their very existence, marriages, or families in schools.

This is why SIECUS has and will continue advocating for federal legislation like the Real Education and Access for Healthy Youth Act (REAHYA) which will create a standard for sex education to be taught that affirms and respects the sexuality and lived experiences of all individuals, regardless of race, gender, sexuality or belief.”

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SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change has served as the national voice for sex education since 1964, asserting that sexuality is a fundamental part of being human, one worthy of dignity and respect. Through advocacy, policy and coalition building, SIECUS advances sex education as a vehicle for social change—where all people receive sex education, are affirmed in their identities, and have power to make decisions about their own health, pleasure, and wholeness.