The House of Representatives voted on Tuesday (July 19) to pass a bill that would recognize same-sex marriage as a federal law. This is a direct response from Democrats after the overturn of Roe v. Wade by the conservative-led Supreme Court.
It has only been seven years since the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. This legalization was after the landmark civil rights case, Obergefell v. Hodges. On this day, LGBTQ+ Americans had the hope that better days were ahead. However, their relief drastically shifted after the overturn of Roe v. Wade. This ruling, in the words of President Biden via Twitter this morning, has stripped away “the basic right to privacy.” He continues his statement by implying that the right of marrying who you love (another basic right to privacy) is at risk.
One of the infamous House of Representatives, Justice Clarence Thomas, revealed that the same rationale used to declare the ruling of Roe v. Wade should be used to overturn cases that established the rights to contraception and same-sex marriage.
On Tuesday, 47 Republicans joined with Democrats for the bipartisan final vote of 267 to 157 in favor of codifying same-sex marriage. In addition to this, the bill also includes federal protections for interracial marriages and enacts legal safeguards for married couples intended to prevent discrimination on the basis of sex, ethnicity, or national origin.
The final vote is a crucial step that gives LGBTQ+ members their right to privacy. However, this vote will not be enough. Now that the bill passed the House, it must make its way to the Senate, then to the President.
Unfortunately, it is unclear whether or not the bill can pass the Senate. This is because at least 10 Republicans are needed to join with Democrats to overcome the filibuster’s 60-vote threshold.