Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer stood with several LGBTQ elected officials, advocates, and allies at the LGBT Community Center in Manhattan on November 18 to call for the passage of a bipartisan bill protecting marriage equality in the United States.
The rally was held in between Senate votes on the Respect for Marriage Act, which would formally repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and establish protections for same-sex and interracial marriages as a precaution in case the Supreme Court eventually overturns Obergefell v. Hodges. While it would not require states to perform marriages, the bill is primarily intended to shield the rights of married couples. The bill also includes language outlining religious liberty and conscience provisions.
