Crist Statement on House Passage of Legislation Protecting Marriage Equality

Press Release

U.S. Representative Charlie Crist (D-St. Petersburg) issued this statement following House passage of H.R.8404, the Respect for Marriage Act, legislation that protects marriage equality for LGBTQ and interracial couples across the United States. This comes after worrisome comments by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas that the same legal justification for overturning Roe v. Wade should be used to reconsider Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court case that effectively legalized gay marriage nationwide in 2015. The same Constitutional arguments used to guarantee rights to the LGBTQ community were also used in Loving v. Virginia to guarantee protections for interracial couples.

"After the disastrous decision by the conservative Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade, it is clear that Republican state legislatures and governors will not stop there -- they will try to take away more and more rights from Americans and Floridians, including from LGBTQ couples, " said Rep. Crist. "This is wrong and totally out of step with the American people and our values. I'm proud to support the Respect for Marriage Act to protect the rights of all couples across Florida. Love is love!"

The Respect for Marriage Act would enshrine marriage equality for same sex and interracial couples guaranteed by Obergefell and Loving for the purposes of federal law, repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), and provide additional legal protections for marriage equality.

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