Silver Spring, MD – The Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) is applauding the House and Senate for passing the Respect for Marriage Act, codifying federal recognition of same-sex and interracial marriages. The bill was passed by a bipartisan coalition of Democrat and Republican lawmakers. The bill now goes to President Joe Biden’s desk for his signature.
“What an amazing, history-making day,” said ATU International President John Costa. “The Respect for Marriage Act, once signed into law, will ensure we finally live in a world that honors millions of LGBTQ+ Americans and marriages of different races, ethnicities, and national origin in this country and the lives of their children and families. Thank you to the House and Senate for being on the right side of history.”
The bill will also repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), a 1996 law that set a strict federal definition for marriage that specified a union is between one man and one woman and defined “spouse” as a “person of the opposite sex.
“Love is love, and we will never go back to a time when people were denied the right to protection because of who they are,” continued Costa. “The ATU is proud to fight for the rights of LGBTQ+ people and for all those who have been discriminated against and denied the dignity and respect of a legal union. We stand in solidarity with you.”