Biden calls same-sex marriage law ‘blow against hate’ in star-studded ceremony
Katherine Doyle
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A decade ago, then-Vice President Joe Biden took Americans by surprise when he came out to support gay marriage, preempting former President Barack Obama by calling the decision “inevitable.”
As Biden prepared to sign into law a bill to codify same-sex marriage on Tuesday, the president recalled that moment.
“Ten years ago, I got in trouble,” Biden said of the Meet the Press interview. Now, he said the new same-sex marriage law would “strike a blow against hate in all its forms.”
“Racism, anti-Semitism, homophobia, transphobia, they’re all connected,” Biden added.
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Attendees had gathered to watch Biden at a celebratory event on the White House South Lawn, feted with performances by pop stars Cyndi Lauper and Sam Smith. The White House piped “I’m Coming Out” by Diana Ross as guests milled awaiting the event’s start and later played aloud Biden’s Meet the Press comments: “Who do you love? Who do you love, and will you be loyal to the person you love?”
Invitations were styled as if for a wedding. “Thousands” were invited, Biden’s press secretary said.
Biden described the bill as “a vital step towards equality— not just for some, but for all.” Yet he warned that gay Americans could still face discrimination.
“When a person can be married in the morning and thrown out of a restaurant for being gay in the afternoon, this is still wrong,” Biden said.
The bipartisan Respect for Marriage Act provides federal protection for same-sex marriages, acting as a safeguard should the Supreme Court reverse Obergefell v. Hodges, its 2015 decision.
Biden’s press secretary had earlier charged that gay families remain under threat despite the “landmark” legislation.
“Extremist conservatives appear bent on taking away fundamental rights, including marriage equality,” Jean-Pierre told reporters. Still, Jean-Pierre said the bill represented a significant “piece of civil rights legislation.”
Lawmakers and Cabinet officials gathered Tuesday to watch the signing.
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Thanking senators for their work, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) praised the efforts of Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), a co-author of the bill and, until last week, a Democrat. Sinema, openly bisexual and a longtime advocate for same-sex marriage, renounced the Democratic Party last week to become a registered independent.
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