President Joe Biden signs historic same-sex marriage bill, says ‘love is love’

The legislation, which passed with bipartisan support after years of efforts by advocates, has been described as a major milestone by LGBTQ+ groups. It is meant to protect marriages by amending the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which upended traditional norms by defining marriage between a man and a woman.<br><br>In the United States, the question of same-sex marriage had simmered for decades before being settled by the Supreme Court in 2015. However, the ruling was threatened this year by a Supreme Court decision relating to abortion that raised fears the LGBTQ+ decision could be reversed.<br><br>A new bill, the Respect for Marriage Act, aims to address this concern by enshrining federal protections for marriages regardless of gender, race or ethnicity. The legislation, which President Joe Biden was set to sign into law on Tuesday, follows years of efforts by advocates and was renewed after the landmark ruling on abortion.<br><br>"Just a few years ago, this was unimaginable," Biden said. "We're in a new era of matrimony."<br><br>Reuters