Author Spotlight
Connor Vogel
The perfectly divided Senate faces debate over the Respect for Marriage Act that will codify the the Supreme Court’s decision to legalize same-sex marriage in 2015, with huge potential effects on LGBTQ+ students at East.
Members of Plus Club are worried that they won’t be able to marry the person they love based solely on their gender according to Plus Club President and senior Jeanne Ozkan. This comes after the Democrat-sponsored House bill passed with 267-157 in July with the bipartisan support of 47 Republicans.
Bipartisan support for the bill goes beyond the walls of Congress, with 71% of Americans supporting the right to same-sex marriage and 25% objecting due to moral or religious reasons, with the remaining 4% of those polled offering no opinion on the issue — according to a poll by Gallup.
This bill doesn’t only expand marriage rights, but also repeals the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which defined marriage as a union between only a man and woman. The law banned the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages and disqualified couples from federal benefits like joint tax filing and spousal benefits such as Social Security, Medicare, disability and visitation rights in instances of grave illness, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Ozkan believes that Republican opposition to the bill stems from the influence religion has on American voters.
“I don’t believe America is secular in any sense of the word,” Ozkan said. “Religion is something you go to when you want to learn your morals and values. Those teachings will directly affect your political views and your vote on election day.”
The Senate requires 60 votes to legally pass the bill, meaning ten GOP Senators must vote in favor. The Respect for Marriage Act may not have an immediate or significant impact on East students right now, but it has made Queer History Club President Jo Wilson-Head question the future of many LGBTQ+ students.
“Hopefully, this is a [bill] that we’re hopefully never going to have to think about, but I know I for one am going to be moving out of the country if that ever happens,” Wilson-Head said. “And I know a lot of people that feel the same way.”
The push to pass this bill comes nearly three months after Roe v. Wade was overturned. In his concurring opinion, Justice Clarence Thomas stated that the court should reconsider former precedents, specifically mentioning Obergefell versus Hodges, the basis of the constitutional right to same-sex marriage that the court used to make its decision.
“Roe versus Wade has definitely shown a more extreme Republican Party and more extreme Democratic Party so it becomes harder and harder to [find bipartisan support] on these issues that are becoming more at the forefront of our minds,” Wilson-Head said. “And as we become more polarized from each other, eventually nothing is going to get done.”
In the face of this crucial bill, Wilson-Head believes it’s vital for the public to be aware of the discrimination queer people face in this country.
“[The Marriage Equality Act] is very important, no matter what happens,” Wilson-Head said. “There is always going to be backlash and homophobia with these bills. That’s just part of our culture and society in general. But we all must try to protect the rights of LGBTQ+ people.”
The perfectly divided Senate faces debate over the Respect for Marriage Act that will codify the the Supreme Court’s decision to legalize same-sex marriage in 2015, with huge potential effects on LGBTQ+ students at East.
Members of Plus Club are worried that they won’t be able to marry the person they love based solely on their gender according to Plus Club President and senior Jeanne Ozkan. This comes after the Democrat-sponsored House bill passed with 267-157 in July with the bipartisan support of 47 Republicans.
Bipartisan support for the bill goes beyond the walls of Congress, with 71% of Americans supporting the right to same-sex marriage and 25% objecting due to moral or religious reasons, with the remaining 4% of those polled offering no opinion on the issue — according to a poll by Gallup.
This bill doesn’t only expand marriage rights, but also repeals the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which defined marriage as a union between only a man and woman. The law banned the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages and disqualified couples from federal benefits like joint tax filing and spousal benefits such as Social Security, Medicare, disability and visitation rights in instances of grave illness, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Ozkan believes that Republican opposition to the bill stems from the influence religion has on American voters.
“I don’t believe America is secular in any sense of the word,” Ozkan said. “Religion is something you go to when you want to learn your morals and values. Those teachings will directly affect your political views and your vote on election day.”
The Senate requires 60 votes to legally pass the bill, meaning ten GOP Senators must vote in favor. The Respect for Marriage Act may not have an immediate or significant impact on East students right now, but it has made Queer History Club President Jo Wilson-Head question the future of many LGBTQ+ students.
“Hopefully, this is a [bill] that we’re hopefully never going to have to think about, but I know I for one am going to be moving out of the country if that ever happens,” Wilson-Head said. “And I know a lot of people that feel the same way.”
The push to pass this bill comes nearly three months after Roe v. Wade was overturned. In his concurring opinion, Justice Clarence Thomas stated that the court should reconsider former precedents, specifically mentioning Obergefell versus Hodges, the basis of the constitutional right to same-sex marriage that the court used to make its decision.
“Roe versus Wade has definitely shown a more extreme Republican Party and more extreme Democratic Party so it becomes harder and harder to [find bipartisan support] on these issues that are becoming more at the forefront of our minds,” Wilson-Head said. “And as we become more polarized from each other, eventually nothing is going to get done.”
In the face of this crucial bill, Wilson-Head believes it’s vital for the public to be aware of the discrimination queer people face in this country.
“[The Marriage Equality Act] is very important, no matter what happens,” Wilson-Head said. “There is always going to be backlash and homophobia with these bills. That’s just part of our culture and society in general. But we all must try to protect the rights of LGBTQ+ people.”
Leave a Reply