President Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act into law Tuesday afternoon, ensuring the federal protection of same-sex and interracial marriages. Thousands gathered on the South Lawn to mark the significant milestone in the quest for marriage equality.
The White House invited thousands to join the president and other government officials for the celebratory ceremony. The event featured musical guests that performed before Biden's remarks, such as Sam Smith and longtime LGBTQ rights advocate Cyndi Lauper. Invited guests included the co-owner of Club Q, the Colorado LGBTQ club that was attacked by a gunman last month, and two survivors of the mass shooting. The White House also invited plaintiffs from Obergefell v. Hodges, the 2015 landmark Supreme Court case that legalized same-sex marriage nationally, and lawyers who represented the interracial couple at the center of the 1967 Loving v. Virginia case.
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