On the one-year anniversary of the Respect for Marriage Act being signed into law by President Biden, DNC National Press Secretary Sarafina Chitika released the following statement: 

“After Donald Trump appointed and celebrated far-right extreme judges who were willing to undermine 50 years of precedent and rip away Americans’ freedoms, one year ago today, President Biden signed the historic Respect for Marriage Act into law – landmark legislation that reaffirms that love is love and protects every American’s freedom to marry in the face of attacks from the MAGA movement. When Donald Trump, Mike Johnson, and 2024 MAGA Republicans continue to villainize the LGBTQ+ community, they are showing us who they are – and we must believe them. The choice next November couldn’t be more clear: President Biden’s plan to pass the Equality Act and ensure rights and freedoms for all Americans, or Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans’ agenda to undermine our freedoms, harbor hate, and enable discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community.” 

President Biden made history when he signed the Respect for Marriage Act, enshrining into law every American’s right to marry who they love. 

Washington Post: “President Biden on Tuesday afternoon signed the Respect for Marriage Act into law, granting federal protections to same-sex and interracial couples, and marking a milestone in the decades-long fight for marriage equality.

“‘Today is a good day,’ a jubilant Biden declared on the South Lawn of the White House, where thousands of lawmakers, gay rights activists and guests were gathered for the signing ceremony. ‘A day America takes a vital step toward equality, toward liberty, justice — not just for some, but for everyone. Toward creating a nation where decency, dignity and love are recognized, honored and protected.’”

Donald Trump has a long history of opposing marriage equality and railed against LGBTQ+ rights during his administration — leaving the door open to appointing Supreme Court justices who would move to overturn Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized marriage equality. 

Bill O’Reilly: “All right. Gay marriage, favor it?” 

Trump: “I’m against it.” 

O’Reilly: “Why?” 

Trump: “I just don’t feel good about it. I don’t feel right about it. I’m against it and I take a lot of heat because I come from New York. You know, for New York it’s like, how can you be against gay marriage? But I’m opposed to gay marriage.”

Chris Wallace: “But — but just to button this up very quickly, sir, are you saying that if you become president, you might try to appoint justices to overrule the decision on same-sex marriage?” 

Trump: “I would strongly consider that, yes.”

Ron DeSantis opposed the Respect for Marriage Act and has a long history of railing against marriage equality for LGBTQ+ Americans. 

Florida Politics: “Gov. Ron DeSantis is offering critical comments about legislation signed by President Joe Biden protecting all forms of marriage rights for consenting adults. The law codifies some gay marriage rights granted in the 2015 Obergfell v. Hodges decision, and includes protections of interracial marriage codified in 1967’s Loving v. Virginia. On a Tuesday evening interview on ‘The Ingraham Angle’ atop a chyron saying the law ‘restricts freedom of speech and religion,’ DeSantis argued that there was ‘no need’ for the Respect for Marriage Act. … ‘I don’t think — there certainly was no need to do this. I do think those concerns are valid,’ he added.”

Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops 2012 Questionnaire: “MARRIAGE: Defining marriage as the exclusive union of one man and one woman?”

DeSantis: “SUPPORT”

Nikki Haley has a record of opposing marriage equality, supported efforts to rail against legalizing gay marriage in her state, and continues to push a far-right, extreme, and hateful agenda against the LGBTQ+ community as a presidential candidate.

2009 South Carolina gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley, asked if she would sign a bill to legalize marriage quality in South Carolina: “No. Marriage is between one man and one woman.”

The State: “Gov. Nikki Haley said she is doing ‘my job to uphold the constitution’ by opposing a federal lawsuit that seeks to overturn the state’s constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.”

Associated Press: “Attorneys for Gov. Nikki Haley and Attorney General Alan Wilson said in court papers filed this week that the state of South Carolina doesn’t have to recognize gay marriages performed legally in other states and the nation’s capital. That argument, filed in federal court Thursday, comes in response to a lawsuit earlier this year by a gay couple legally married in Washington, D.C., and now living in South Carolina.”

Fox News: “Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley says that a controversial parental rights bill that bans teachers from giving classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through third grade that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law last year needs to be more stringent.”

Vivek Ramaswamy thinks marriage can only be between a man and a woman and has referred to the LGBTQ+ community as a “cult” on the campaign trail. 

Ramaswamy: “God chooses who he works through. He puts us here for a purpose. And the value set that I was raised in, you know, what is it? Marriage is between a man and a woman. Marriage is not just between the two people who are married. It’s, you’re married before God. That’s a higher commitment. It’s also something that means that you have a commitment in a duty to see that through. The nuclear family is the greatest foundation for a society. And a husband and wife have a relationship with each other, but also a duty to stay in that marriage.”

Washington Examiner: “Vivek Ramaswamy Says ‘LGBTQIA+ Movement’ Has Become A ‘Cult’: ‘It’s Not About Logic.’”

Chris Christie said he was “not a fan” of marriage equality and even encouraged opponents of marriage equality not to give up the fight. 

Christie: “I am not a fan of same-sex marriage. It’s not something that I support. I believe marriage should be between one man and one woman. That’s my view and that would be the view of our state because I wouldn’t sign a bill like the one that was in New York.”

Time: “New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Saturday that while same-sex marriage is ‘settled’ in New Jersey, it’s not time for opponents to give up the fight. Speaking to reporters at the National Governors Association, Christie said it is not time for Republicans to drop the issue, which is entrenched in the party’s platform but contributes to the party’s difficulty with younger voters. ‘I don’t think that there’s going to be some major referee who’s going to say now it’s time to stop,’ he said, referencing his own opposition to the unions. ‘Certainly I’m not going to, because these are opinions that I feel strongly about.’”