Bill to protect equal marriage clears hurdle in US Senate with support from dozen Republicans

A bill intended to protect same-sex marriage in US law has cleared a procedural hurdle in the US Senate, with a number of Republicans who have previously opposed LGBT+ rights joining Democrats in voting in favour.

Darlene Garner and Candy Holmes marry in 2010 (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty)

The Respect for Marriage Act was drawn up to see off any attempt to overturn the recognition of same-sex marriage, in the wake of the conservative-dominated Supreme Court’s decision to gut abortion rights and throw out decades of precedent in June this year.

The Senate is currently split 50-50 between Democrats and Republicans, but 60 votes are needed for legislation to advance under controversial filibuster rules – leaving Democrats seeking to peel off support from Republicans to pass bills.

A procedural vote on Wednesday saw 62 votes in favour and 37 opposed, with one abstention.

Wednesday’s vote will allow the measure to continue its journey through in the Senate, after a bipartisan group of senators proposed changes to protect religious liberty.

The bill would officially repeal a defunct federal law defining marriage as between one man and one woman, and instead requires the recognition of marriage in all 50 states regardless of “sex, race, ethnicity or national origin”.

Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin, the first out gay person elected to the Senate, told the chamber that many couples were terrified their hard-won marriages could be rendered invalid at a stroke of a pen.

She said: “Right now, millions of Americans are scared that the rights they rely upon could be taken away, and they are scared for good reason.

“Regardless of your position on abortion, the highest court of the land has just overturned a precedent of nearly 50 years, and the same legal arguments the Supreme Court rested upon to reverse Roe v Wade could just as easily be applied to other cases, related to intimate relations, contraception and marriage.”

The right to marry was only fully extended across all 50 states by a 5-4 ruling in 2015 case Obergefell v Hodges, and since then the court has been packed with conservatives.

Ms Baldwin cited comments from right-wing Justice Clarence Thomas suggesting the reasoning used to unpick abortion rights could also be used on same-sex marriage. She said: “Given this landscape, it is not unreasonable for couples to be fearful that the protection of their marriages is in real jeopardy.”

The bipartisan push on the bill has been led by Ms Baldwin and fellow Democrat Kyrsten Sinema, who is bisexual, along with Republican senators Susan Collins, Thom Tillis and Rob Portman.

As part of a bid to win support from Republicans, an amendment to the legislation emphasised existing religious liberty and conscience protections – while making clear religious non-profits cannot be compelled to provide services, facilities or goods for the celebration of a same-sex union. The bill also rules out recognition of any marriage of more than two people.

Ms Collins, one of the tiny handful of Republican senators to have supported LGBT+ rights measures previously, told the chamber the bill would “help protect the rights of Americans while maintaining important religious liberty protections”.

Mr Portman, who has spoken previously about how having a gay son changed his view on LGBT+ rights, said: “In the minds of most Americans, the validity of these marriages is a settled question, and the majority of Americans want this question to be settled. It’s important we resolve that issue.”

Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said: “This bill is as personal as it gets for many of us, myself included. My daughter and her wife are expecting a baby next spring, and I want to do everything possible to make sure their rights are protected under federal law.

“This is a great chance to do something very important for tens of millions of Americans. No one should have to worry about whether their marriage will be invalidated in the future.”

No Senators rose to speak against the bill on Wednesday afternoon.

The bipartisan bill stops short of some of the measures hoped for by activists – notably only protecting the recognition of same-sex marriages in all 50 states, rather than explicitly enshrining the right to marry a same-sex partner permanently into law.

In July, the legislation cleared the House of Representatives by a vote of 267-157, with support from all Democrats and 47 Republicans – while a surprise endorsement came from the Mormon Church, which has long opposed LGBT+ rights and opposes same-sex unions as a matter of doctrine.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said it would continue to teach that marriage is “between a man and a woman” but said the law “includes appropriate religious freedom protections while respecting the law and preserving the rights of our LGBTQ+ brothers and sisters”.

Evangelical lobby groups and Republican firebrands lined up against the legislation however, with the influential right-wing Heritage Foundation claiming “the bill isn’t about marriage or respect at all, it’s about imposing the radical left’s sexual ideology as state orthodoxy.”

After the bill clears the Senate, it will return to the House for a final vote before heading to US President Joe Biden’s desk to pass into law.

Proponents are hoping to pass the legislation before Republicans take control of the House in January.

Reference: Nick Duffy -

Mormon church voices support for same-sex marriage law

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said Tuesday it would back proposed federal legislation to safeguard same-sex marriages, marking the latest show of support for the measure from conservative-leaning groups.

FILE - Flowers bloom in front of the Salt Lake Temple, at Temple Square, on Aug. 4, 2015, in Salt Lake City.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022.

• The Respect for Marriage Act under consideration in Congress after years of opposing recognition of same-sex marriage. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)© Provided by The Associated Press

The nearly 17-million member, Utah-based faith said in a statement that church doctrine would continue to consider same-sex relationships to be against God's commandments. Yet it said it would support rights for same-sex couples as long as they didn't infringe upon religious groups' right to believe as they choose.

“We believe this approach is the way forward. As we work together to preserve the principles and practices of religious freedom together with the rights of LGBTQ individuals much can be accomplished to heal relationships and foster greater understanding,” the church said in a statement posted on its website.

Support for the Respect for Marriage Act under consideration in Congress is the church's latest step to stake out a more welcoming stance toward the LGBTQ community while holding firm to its belief that same-sex relationships are sinful. Still, its stance toward LGBTQ people — including those who grow up in the church — remains painful for many.

FILE - The angel Moroni statue sits atop the Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at Temple Square on Sept. 11, 2014, in Salt Lake City. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022, came out in support of The Respect for Marriage Act under consideration in Congress after years of opposing recognition of same-sex marriage. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)© Provided by The Associated Press

Patrick Mason, a professor of religious studies at Utah State University, said the church's position was both a departure from and continuation of its past stances — respecting laws yet working to safeguard religious liberty and ensuring they won't be forced to perform same-sex marriages or grant them official church sanction.

“This is part of the church’s overall theology essentially sustaining the law of the land, recognizing that what they dictate and enforce for their members in terms of their behavior is different than what it means to be part of a pluralistic society,” he said.

The faith opposes same-sex marriage and sexual intimacy, but it has taken a more welcoming stance to LGBTQ people in recent years. In 2016, it declared that same-sex attraction is not a sin, while maintaining that acting on it was.

The bill, which has won support from Democrats and Republicans, is set for a test vote in the Senate Wednesday, with a final vote as soon as this week or later this month. It comes after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion, with Justice Clarence Thomas issuing a concurring opinion indicating that an earlier high court decision protecting same-sex marriage could come under threat.

The legislation would repeal the Clinton-era Defense of Marriage Act and require states to recognize all marriages that were legal where they were performed. It would also protect interracial marriages by requiring states to recognize legal marriages regardless of “sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin." It makes clear that the rights of private individuals and businesses wouldn’t be affected.

Utah’s four congressmen — who are all members of the church — each voiced support for the legislation earlier this year.

The church’s public stance is a stark contrast from 14 years ago, when its members were among the largest campaign contributors in support of California’s Prop. 8, which defined marriage as between a man and a woman in response to cities such as San Francisco granting marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Troy Williams, the executive director of Equality Utah, said it was “thrilling” to see the church part of the coalition in support of the legislation.

“Despite differences we may have, we can always discover common ground on laws that support the strengthening of all families,” Williams, who grew up a church member, said.

The faith opposes laws that would make it illegal for churches to not allow to same-sex couples to marry on their property. But it has supported state-based efforts to pass laws that prohibit employment and housing discrimination as long as they clarify respect for religious freedom.

The Respect for Marriage Act neither fully codifies the U.S. Supreme Court decision that enshrined a federal right to same-sex marriage nor details all religious liberty concerns of those who object to it.

Faith groups see it as vehicle for passing religious liberty protections they haven't been able to in the past, said Tim Schultz, the president of the 1st Amendment Partnership.

Schultz's organization is advocating for religious liberty on behalf of a coalition concerned with that subject — a coalition that includes The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

"Same-sex marriage has achieved broad appeal in our culture in significant part because it hasn’t trampled on people who believe in traditional marriage," he said. 

Reference: By SAM METZ, Associated Press 

Religious leaders join world-first inter-faith ceremony on climate change

People must confront the “destructive habits” that limit their efforts to tackle climate change, a world-first inter-faith ceremony has heard.

A former archbishop of Canterbury gathered in London alongside leaders from a range of other religions to “offer our voice as a contribution” to work by politicians and negotiators at the Cop27 climate summit in Egypt.

Representatives of the Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist and Sikh faiths joined the UK event organised by the Elijah Interfaith Institute on Sunday afternoon.

Similar ceremonies were set to happen in Sharm El-Sheikh and other locations around the world.

Organisers said it was the first multi-faith ceremony to “seek forgiveness for climate sins” and hoped it would “inspire humility and action” during Cop27, which ends on November 18.

As the event began, Dr Rowan Williams told those gathered: “As religious leaders we offer our voice as a contribution to the gathered leaders (at Cop 27) and to humanity.

“We must also confront honestly the destructive habits which continue to limit the possibilities and the hopes of human beings, in a call for wake up and self-examination.”

The faith leaders climbed Parliament Hill, with scrolls bearing “Ten Principles for Climate Repentance”, in a nod to the 10 Commandments revealed to Moses on Mount Sinai, which is about 125 miles away from the Cop27 conference.

Those gathered heard the Ten Principles for Climate Repentance read aloud (David Parry/PA)© Provided by PA Media

The leaders were also taking part in a two-hour multi-faith Climate Repentance Ceremony at a synagogue in north London on Sunday evening.

Organiser Rabbi Alon Goshen-Gottstein said he hoped the day’s ceremony would set a precedent for future events.

Speaking beforehand, he said: “In order to cope with climate change we need to be transformed. We need to not simply make political decisions, we need to change our hearts, and to change our hearts, that’s the business of religion.”

He said world leaders must know “that they’re not negotiating on behalf of a country or set of interests, but on behalf of a deeper vision of humanity and how it’s placed in the world”.

The rabbi said a specially created oath developed in partnership with the Peace Department non-profit organisation could help motivate people to do more when it comes to climate change.

It says: “I, as a person of hope, pledge to do my best to make the world better for people and the planet each day that I may live.”

Dr Rowan Williams said he had sympathy with the idea of shock tactics (Just Stop Oil/PA)© Provided by PA Media

In an interview on Friday, Dr Williams urged the Government to insulate more homes and take “a more edgy role internationally” to tackle the climate crisis.

He said he was “disappointed” with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s decision – later reversed – not to attend the Cop27 climate summit, and expressed “a lot of sympathy” with the argument that “shock tactics” used by climate protest groups such as Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion can “break through to people”.

Asked if disruptive protests are justifiable, he said: “Mixed feelings, to be honest. Tactically speaking, I do take the point some people are really, seriously alienated by actions like this, especially if they’ve been sitting on the M25 for five hours or whatever it might be.

“But at the same time, I’ve got a lot of sympathy with the idea that some kinds of shock tactics do break through to people, and my own question is always: how far can you go with shock tactics before you really lose the audience?

“I think I’d echo what I think (the columnist) Polly Toynbee said in The Guardian the other day: if you’re really angry and put off by the actions of Just Stop Oil protesters, what exactly are you doing, what are you going to do to turn all this around?” 

Reference: By Aine Fox and Lucas Cumiskey, PA 

Pope marks Day of the Poor by hosting hundreds for lunch at Vatican

Pope Francis denounced the “sirens of populism” as he called for a renewed commitment to helping the poor, homeless and migrants amid Italy’s latest migration debate.

Francis celebrated the Catholic Church’s World Day of the Poor on Sunday by inviting hundreds of poor and homeless people and migrants into the Vatican for a special Mass and lunch.

He denounced the indifference the world shows them as well as the “prophets of doom” who fuel fear and conspiracies about them for personal gain.

“Let us not be enchanted by the sirens of populism, which exploit people’s real needs by facile and hasty solutions,” Francis said.

This year’s commemoration takes place as Italy once again is at the heart of a European debate over migration, with the far-right-led government of Giorgia Meloni going head-to-head with France over the fate of people rescued in the Mediterranean.

Italy kept four rescue boats at sea for days until finally allowing three to disembark last week and forcing France to take in the fourth.

The stand-off sparked a diplomatic row that resulted in France suspending its participation in a European redistribution programme and reinforcing its border crossings with Italy.

The Vatican invited hundreds of people, including migrants, for lunch on Sunday (Gregorio Borgia/AP)© Provided by PA Media

Francis lamented that the war in Ukraine is only adding to the plight of the poor, who are still reeling from the coronavirus pandemic, as well as from natural disasters and climate change.

“Today also, much more than in the past, many of our brothers and sisters, sorely tested and disheartened, migrate in search of hope, and many people experience insecurity due to the lack of employment or unjust and undignified working conditions,” he said.

To show concrete acts of solidarity, the Vatican invited some 1,300 people to lunch in the audience hall after the Mass.

In addition, free medical checks that had been halted due to Covid-19 were restarted this week in St Peter’s Square, providing people with check-ups, vaccines, blood tests, electrocardiograms as well as tests for hepatitis C, tuberculosis and HIV. 

Reference: PA Media: By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press