SAG-AFTRA today applauded the enactment of the Respect for Marriage Act, which was signed into law today by President Joe Biden. The bipartisan legislation was passed in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, and concerns that the court might next rule that states can make same-sex and interracial marriages illegal.
“The passage of the Respect for Marriage Act will ensure that the federal and state governments will continue to recognize and respect all marriages, without discrimination based on gender, sexual orientation, national origin, ethnicity, or race. This legislation is an important step to protecting the LGBTQ+ Americans who remain vulnerable to discrimination in their daily lives,” the guild said in a statement. “The Respect for Marriage Act will bring comfort not only to SAG-AFTRA members but also to millions of families across the country.”
SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, who attended the bill’s signing, said: “I am honored and thrilled to have attended this historic enactment. Seeing President Biden sign the Respect for Marriage act into law is a moment I will never forget. As someone who has personally fought for marriage equality for more than 30 years, this legislation means everything. Today, Congress and President Biden have eliminated any doubt of the federal requirement for respect and recognition for same sex marriage and that is an extraordinary achievement. The bipartisan majority that enacted this legislation is a sign of the progress we have made as a society; the fact we need this legislation at all is a sign of how far we still have to go.”
The DGA and IATSE praised Congress for passing the law last week.