Senate Passes Same-Sex Marriage Bill

     November 15, 2022 will be an important day for the LGBTQ community and allies. The senate passed a same-sex marriage bill, which will offer federal protection for same- sex couples. The vote was 61-36, 12 of which were republicans. It is to be sent to the House soon and then President Biden's desk for the final stamp of approval. 

    "Democrats have said the bill is necessary after conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in his concurring opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization earlier this year that the Court “should reconsider” its decisions in Griswold v. Connecticut, Lawrence v. Texas, and Obergefell v. Hodges, which established a right to contraception, privacy in the bedroom, and same-sex marriage, respectively." (Bernstein, 2022).

    

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    I feel as though this topic is large enough to talk about, but I have to admit, there is little bias from what I have seen. An article by Buzzfeed, published on November 17, 2022 goes into great detail about what has happened, what this means and how it was done. David Mack, a Buzzfeed writer mentions that this bill was carefully crafted as to please as many people as possible. It was done in a way that even the Mormon church supports it, though they still believe same-sex marriage to be a sin.

    "Polls show more than 70% of Americans now support marriage equality — an inverse from the 70% who opposed when the Defense of Marriage Act first passed."(Mack, 2022). 

    This article almost serves as a story in reverse, saying what has happened and backing up to show the evolution up until this point. 

    The National Review, who is very open about their oppositions to political issues, was rather tame in the article I found by Brittany Bernstein. It is mostly informative with a few mentions of possible issues to look out for.

• "Meanwhile, Senator Mike Lee (R., Utah) has said the current religious-liberty protections in the bill were “severely anemic and largely illusory” and said the new amendment is “insufficient.”(Brittany Bernstein, 2022).

• "Many small businesses would also be affected. For example, wedding vendors (including kosher caterers) would be subjected to endless lawsuits and harassment based solely on their beliefs.” -Mike Lee

    To round this up...
    
    This landmark case seems to be well-received or at least digestible to most and has not stirred the pot as much as many other political topics have been recently. Both sides have their bias, though very subtle. I would recommend either if you want to learn about the new bill and how it came to be. 

Bernstein, B. (2022, November 30). Senate passes same-sex marriage bill. National Review. Retrieved November 29, 2022, from https://www.nationalreview.com/news/senate-passes-same-sex-marriage-bill/

Mack, D. (2022, November 29). The Senate passed a bill to protect same-sex marriage. here's what it does and doesn't do. BuzzFeed News. Retrieved November 29, 2022, from https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/davidmack/respect-marriage-act-same-sex-equality-supreme-court

Reicherzer, S. (2022, June 10). A guided meditation to reflect on the colors of the Pride Flag. Mindful. Retrieved November 29, 2022, from https://www.mindful.org/a-15-minute-guided-meditation-on-the-pride-flag/