Biden signs the Respect for Marriage Act, completing a 10-year journey towards equality

In a ceremony in front of over 5,000 guests, the president solidified the right to marry who you love with the stroke of a pen.

President Joe Biden signs the Respect for Marriage Act into law on South Lawn of the White House on Tuesday, December 13.

Talk about a full-circle moment: Ten years after then-Vice President Joe Biden publicly declared his support for same-sex marriage, a move he says got him in trouble for jumping in front of former President Barack Obama on the issue, he signed the Respect for Marriage Act into law this afternoon on the South Lawn of the White House.

It was a festive affair with over 5,000 guests and special performances from LGBTQ+ icons like Sam Smith and Cyndi Lauper to celebrate the historic bill, which repeals the Defense of Marriage Act — a law that denied access to the more than 1,100 federal benefits associated with marriage and ensures that even if the Supreme Court overturned the three cases that established marriage equality as a precedent, the federal government wouldn’t itself engage in discrimination again.