What does the Respect for Marriage Act do? The answer will vary by state.

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

52% : The Respect for Marriage Act wouldn't change that, but it requires all states to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states and federally recognizes these marriages.
52% : Bonauto of the GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders called the passage of the Respect for Marriage Act important and exciting even though the lack of Congressional support for non-discrimination legislation is bittersweet.
51% : But even when it is signed, the legality of same-sex marriage will still rest on the the 2015 Supreme Court case Obergefell v. Hodges, which found that same-sex marriage is constitutionally protected.
51% : Jon Davidson, senior staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union's LGBTQ & HIV Project and co-counsel on Obergefell, said the law is an "important advance" that will "make a lot of same-sex couples and their families feel more secure."
50% : The law unexpectedly gained Republican support and passed the Senate on Nov. 29 after being amended to ensure that nonprofit religious groups aren't required to help perform same-sex marriages.
50% : "It simply ensures that if a same-sex couple gets married, their marriage will be treated the same as other marriages."
50% : Advocates have been pushing for the Equality Act, a bill that would ban discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation and gender identity and expand the definition of public accommodations.
47% : The specific impact of the Respect for Marriage Act on same-sex couples and their families in a post-Obergefell world would vary based on state law.
43% : It passed the House in February 2021 but stalled in the Senate due to Republican opposition, in part because of tight restrictions on religious liberty exemptions.
41% : If the Court were to overturn Obergefell, the legality of same-sex marriages would revert to state law -- and the majority of states would prohibit it.
37% : It also repeals the Defense of Marriage Act, which prohibited the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages and allowed states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere.

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