TO: CITY COUNCIL FROM: Mayor Sam Liccardo Councilmember Raul Peralez
Councilmember Pam Foley
Councilmember Matt Mahan
SUBJECT: FALL IGR REPORT DATE: December 2, 2022
Approved Date: 12/2/2022
RECOMMENDATION
Accept the Fall IGR report, and urge Congress to pass the Respect for Marriage Act and President Biden to sign the Act into law.
BACKGROUND
Many have been bracing for the Supreme Court to overturn Obergefell v. Hodges, the 2015 case that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, ever since a member of the high court questioned its validity in an opinion in the Dobbs decision that ended a federal right to an abortion.
The Respect for Marriage Act (H.R. 8404), is a bipartisan bill in the U.S. Congress to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, requiring the U.S. federal government to recognize the validity of same-sex and interracial marriages in the United States. This legislation passed the U.S. Senate on November 30, 2022, with bi-partisan support, and is headed to the U.S. House of Representatives where it is expected to pass as well before going to the President for signature.
For LGBTQ+ Americans, the right to same-sex marriage is as personal as it is paramount.
Passage of the Respect for Marriage Act will make a difference for millions upon millions of Americans, including thousands of LGBTQ+ San Joseans. Residents, businesses, and many City Councils have long supported the rights of our LGBTQ+ community in San Jose, and now more than ever, with a Supreme Court that has placed civil rights in question, we must express our strong support for the Respect for Marriage Act and encourage its passage into law.
Council Agenda: 12/6/2022
ITEM: 2.10