25 signatures reached
To: Congress and President Biden
Protect marriage equality from the far-right Supreme Court!
The U.S. House passed the Respect for Marriage Act, legislation to federally protect same-sex and interracial marriages.
The freedom to marry the person you love is a fundamental right that a vast majority of Americans support. But with the Supreme Court having overturned Roe v. Wade and Clarence Thomas writing that other privacy rights (like marriage equality) may be next, the threat to our fundamental rights is very real.
In order to protect our freedoms, the U.S. Senate must pass the Respect for Marriage Act and codify our right to marriage.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has stated a vote will take place in September. With GOP senators already grumbling about their intent to further strip our rights, we must take this opportunity to let our senators know: This bill can and must pass.
Sign the petition: Senate must pass Respect for Marriage Act immediately.
Why is this important?
Marriage equality is under threat. Last week, the House of Representatives took a big step towards protecting the right to marriage for people of all genders and races when it passed the Respect for Marriage Act.
The Senate needs to follow suit.
The Senate must pass the Respect for Marriage Act, legislation to protect marriage equality in the face of threats from the far-right Supreme Court!
Justice Clarence Thomas signaled that the Supreme Court could overturn marriage equality and the right to access contraception. It would be a grave mistake not to take him seriously.
When the Supreme Court overturned the right to abortion in its devastating Dobbs ruling, Clarence Thomas wrote: “we should reconsider all of this Court’s substantive due process precedents, including Griswold, Lawrence, and Obergefell.”
In other words, he wants to apply the same terrible reasoning that struck down Roe to the landmark cases that protect contraception, the right to a consensual partner of the same sex, and marriage equality.
Congress needs to spring into action immediately and pass laws specifically protecting the equal right to marriage and contraception nationwide.
Fortunately, legislation protecting marriage equality has good momentum in Congress. The Respect for Marriage Act would codify marriage equality and repeal the Defense of Marriage Act: a 1990s law that allows states to outlaw same-sex marriages.
The House cleared the bill last week — with a surprising degree of Republican support. It’s clear that there’s a path forward in the Senate too — if leadership gets serious. There’s no other option: the Senate must protect the fundamental rights of all Americans!
Sign the petition: The Senate must protect marriage equality by passing the Respect for Marriage Act!