Freedom to Marry’s federal team continues progress on Respect for Marriage Act

Freedom to Marry's federal program continues making progress on overturning the so-called Defense of Marriage Act, the discriminatory law that prohibits federal recognition of legal marriages between same-sex couples. The federal team is working to galvanize congressional support for the Respect for Marriage Act, the bill that would overturn DOMA.

In June, 7 new co-sponsors signed onto the House of Representatives' version of the Respect for Marriage Act, H.R. 1116, bringing the total number of co-sponsors on the House bill to 151. The Senate bill, S. 598, currently has 32 co-sponsors.

Beyond the congressional support, we've seen dozens of organizations - including LGBT constituencies, labor organizations, and civil rights groups - sign on as members of the Respect for Marriage Coalition, which is led by Freedom to Marry and the Human Rights Campaign. The coalition now has 74 members, and we are proud to present a unified face toward supporting the bill and overturning DOMA once and for all.

It's clear that many Americans are also on board with our work to pass the Respect for Marriage Act. More than 30,000 people have signed our petition for Congress to stand with all military families by repealing DOMA. The strength of the Freedom to Serve, Freedom to Marry petition demonstrates how fiercely opposed Americans are to the discriminatory DOMA. If you haven't signed the petition yet, add your name here

With this level of support from all across the United States, we know that DOMA's days are numbered. President Barack Obama and the Department of Justice have stopped defending the 1996 law, declaring it unconstitutional, and a number of federal court cases have ruled that the law violates the U.S. Constitution. 

We need to continue pushing this momentum in the country and making our voices heard that Americans can no longer stand for a government that federally discriminates against loving and committed same-sex couples and their families. Freedom to Marry will continue pushing for fairness at the federal level until same-sex couples have the freedom to marry nationwide.