Washington, DC – Today Mayor Annise Parker, President & CEO of LGBTQ Victory Institute, issued the following statement on Senate passage of the Respect for Marriage Act under the leadership of Senator Tammy Baldwin, the first out LGBTQ Senator in U.S. history and Senator Kyrsten Sinema, the first out bisexual Senator in U.S. history:
“When we read Justice Clarence Thomas’ concurring opinion in the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, we knew it was intended to be a rallying cry for anti-equality forces demanding that marriage equality be on the chopping block next. We also understood that with a Supreme Court bent on choosing politics over precedent, enshrining LGBTQ freedoms into federal law once and for all was essential.
“Representation is power. Despite lacking equitable representation, our LGBTQ Congressional delegation consistently punches above their weight. We aren’t always the loudest, we aren’t always the most visible, but we have the grit and thick skins to fight the hardest.
“Senator Baldwin is a true political juggernaut and has solidified her place as one of the greatest LGBTQ leaders of all time. The personal conversations she had behind closed doors with reluctant colleagues certainly changed hearts and minds and led to today’s result.
“This landmark piece of legislation protects the marriages of millions of LGBTQ Americans who have not slept well for months, wondering if our marriages would be dissolved by an activist court. While the Respect for Marriage Act is undoubtedly one of the most important pro-LGBTQ laws ever passed, it does not require states to grant marriages to LGBTQ couples. Until then, our fight is not over.”
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LGBTQ Victory Institute
LGBTQ Victory Institute works to achieve and sustain global equality through leadership development, training, and convening to increase the number, expand the diversity, and ensure the success of openly LGBTQ elected and appointed officials at all levels of government.
