157 Republicans Just Voted Against Marriage Equality

Well, it's 2022 and a Grindr 8" (5.5" real) from being 2023. My dumbass figured we'd have flying cars and Faster Than Light jumpdrive capabilities, but we are... inexplicably still debating whether or not Queer people have the right to marry, and whether or not we have control over our physical autonomy.

This past Tuesday, 267 members of the House of Representatives voted in favor of the Respect For Marriage Act (RFMA), a law that removes the prohibition on same-sex marriage that is a part of former President Bill Clinton's 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). As a reminder, DOMA was overturned in 2013. The main angle of RFMA is that all marriages which are recognized as being legal in a state, should be similarly recognized federally, as well. If you're following the party counts in Congress, then you'll know the 267 vote count means 47 Republicans reached across party lines to support the bill; it also means that 157 Republicans voted against marriage equality.

If there's one thing I support in terms of governmental reform, it would be term limits for members of congress (and no lifetime healthcare/pension). A TON of the people who voted for/against the RFMA were also members of Congress during the 1996 DOMA vote, including a number of Democrats. The difference is, not only did half of the Dems who were in Congress for both votes oppose DOMA back then, but of the Republicans who were present for both votes, a measly two switched their positions from supporting DOMA to supporting RFMA.

It is worth noting that then-Senator Biden not only voted for DOMA in 1996, but also campaigned against Marriage Equality in both 2006 and 2008. In 2006, Biden said in a round-table interview, "We already have a law, the Defense of Marriage Act. We’ve all voted—not, where I’ve voted, and others have said, look, marriage is between a man and a woman and states must respect that. Nobody’s violated that law, there’s been no challenge to that law. Why do we need a constitutional amendment? Marriage is between a man and a woman."

He echoed the sentiments in the 2008 Vice Presidential Debates when he squared off against the joke that is Sarah Palin. In response to moderator Gwen Ifill asking if he and then-Senator Obama supported Marriage Equality, Biden said, "No. Barack Obama nor I support redefining from a civil side what constitutes marriage. We do not support that. That is basically the decision to be able to be able to be left to faiths and people who practice their faiths the determination what you call it." But he has evolved with the times, and yes, he grew with the social culture, as well. His world-changing interview with David Gregory is widely considered to be the moment that President Obama's hand was forced on the matter, and Biden has since become one of the biggest supporters of Queer rights in the years since.

The Respect for Marriage Act being passed so easily in the House is decidedly a great win, but it still has to pass the Senate, which of course is dominated by the GQP. We've seen similar strides recently that also face an unsure outcome because of that imbalance. The House of Representatives passed two pieces of legislation recently that would ensure women's rights be codified into law. The Ensuring Access to Abortion Act of 2022 prohibits the criminalization of traveling across state lines for abortion access, and the Women's Health Protection Act of 2022 straight up codifies protections for abortion rights into federal law. Both bills passed the House, and both are likely to fail in the Senate.

Moments like this are a profound reminder that as important as Presidential elections are, midterm and local elections are even more important, as they are the ones that most heavily impact our individual lives and freedoms. If you're not registered to vote, head on over to Vote.org and find your local polling place, etc. It's super quick, and it will literally save lives.

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