New York State Bar Association Champions Historic Right to Marry Law

By Susan DeSantis

December 13, 2022

New York State Bar Association Champions Historic Right to Marry Law

12.13.2022

By Susan DeSantis

Sherry Levin Wallach, president of the New York State Bar Association, issued the following statement today about President Biden signing the Respect for Marriage Act into law:

“With President Biden signing the Respect for Marriage Act today, the right to marry has now been enshrined into federal law. While same-sex couples rejoiced when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the 2015 case Obergefell v. Hodges that the Fourteenth Amendment required states to license and recognize same-sex marriage, we now know that precedent is not enough when it comes to basic human rights. We saw the folly of that in June when Roe v. Wade was overturned after more than 50 years.

“The government has no place deciding who we should love and who we should marry, and this new federal law makes that clear, protecting not only same-sex couples but interracial ones as well. The New York State Bar Association values diversity, equity and inclusion. That is why we fought for the legalization of same-sex marriage in New York more than a decade ago. That is why we support a women’s right to choose an abortion. And that is why we are thrilled on this historic day to see President Biden sign the Respect for Marriage Act into law.”

 

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