On Tuesday, President Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act into law. The legislation will provide federal protection for same-sex and interracial couples and requires all 50 U.S. states to recognize all marriages.
"Today's a good day — a day America take a vital step towards equality," Biden said at a White House signing ceremony.
"The road to this moment has been long, but those who believe in equality and justice, you never gave up," he added.
“The road to this moment has been long, but those who believe in equality and justice, you never gave up,” Biden said. “So many of you put your relationships on the line, your jobs on the line, your lives on the line, to fight for the law I’m about to sign. For me and the entire nation: thank you, thank you, thank you.”
At the signing was a large body of LGBTQ+ community members.To help commemorate the signing, the White House featured performances from a variety of entertainers, including singers Cyndi Lauper and Sam Smith. Lauper has been a staunch LGBTQ+ supporter for decades and spoke during the White House press conference.
“I wanted to say thank you to President Biden, Speaker Pelosi, Vice President
“For once, our families — mine and a lot of my friends and people you know, sometimes your neighbors — we can rest easy tonight because our families are validated.”
Additionally, notable drag queens Brtia Filter, Shangela and Marti Cummings were all in attendance to witness the historic act.
Cummings, who is also a LGBTQ+ activist penned a stern message to their Instagram page, responding to the “right wings dangerous and disparaging attacks” to their invitation to the White House.
Despite hateful messages and threats, the community to hopeful to see more legislation passed that will help protect the rights and liberties of LGBTQ+ identifying people across the nation.