Bipartisan ‘Respect For Marriage Act’ Passes the House

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With the success of the Respect For Marriage Act, the Defense of Marriage Act passed in 1996 is abolished.

Under the Defense of Marriage Act, states had leeway not to acknowledge same-sex marriages that occurred in other states. The 1996 bill furthermore barred gay couples from accessing federal benefits.

The general consensus on same-sex marriage

According to a Pew Research poll conducted just last month, 61% of Americans favor the legalization of gay marriage. Only 37% of Americans stated the legalization of marriage equality is a negative force in society.

Pew Research findings also discovered that while 80% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning voters back same-sex marriage, support amongst Republicans remains primarily split.

GOP members and voters who lean toward the GOP showed 43% support for same-sex marriage; whereas 55% oppose it.

However, Republicans with more moderate leanings remain likelier to support gay marriage, with 62% of this base in favor. On the other hand, 66% of Republicans with strong conservative leanings oppose same-sex marriage.