On Tuesday President Joe Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act with performances from Sam Smith and Cyndi Lauper.
A recording was played of President Joe Biden endorsing gay marriage back when he was Vice President with President Barack Obama, who had not yet endorsed it according to the Associated Press.
In attendance was Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer who wore the same tie he had on at his daughter Alison’s same-sex wedding.
Schumer shared that the change will allow his grandchild, who is due in the spring, to live in a world where his mothers’ marriage is respected.
Governor Kathy Hochul released a statement in support of the bill being signed.
“Today, our country takes a major step forward in the fight for equality as the Respect for Marriage Act is signed into law,” Hochul said. “Thanks to the leadership of President Biden, a longtime champion of the LGBTQ+ community, this new bipartisan law will finally repeal the outdated, discriminatory law known as DOMA and ensure the federal government treats all marriages equally.”
“New York is proud to be the home of the Stonewall Inn and the birthplace of the modern movement for LGBTQ+ rights,” she added. “Our nation has reached this historic moment in no small part because of the efforts of New Yorkers: trans activists like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, gay and lesbian leaders like Larry Kramer and Edie Windsor, and allies currently in elected office including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, RFMA Sponsor Representative Jerry Nadler and the bipartisan members of the New York Delegation who supported this law. Make no mistake: As your Governor, I’ll never stop fighting for the LGBTQ+ community. We’ll protect the gains we’ve made in the struggle for equality and build on them in the years to come. No matter who you are or who you love, you deserve to be treated with dignity and respect in the Empire State.”
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