Equal marriage bill advances in the US Senate

A bill to give federal protection to same sex marriages advanced on Wednesday in the United States Senate with unusual bipartisan support.

A dozen Republicans joined 50 Democrats in the Senate to clear a procedural hurdle that required 60 “yes” votes so that the bill, once considered a deeply divisive issue, can go to the floor.

In the elections of medium term last week, Joe Biden’s Democrats gained a slim lead in retaining control of the Senatethe Republicans win, they obtained a majority in the House of Representatives, according to projections released Wednesday night.

This anticipates a divided legislature from January, when the new Congress is sworn in.

The rights of same-sex unions in the United States have been guaranteed by the Supreme Court since 2015.

But after the Court this year struck down a long-standing ruling protecting abortion rights, many progressives fear same-sex marriages are under threat, too.

In mid-July, the House of Representatives passed a law to protect such unions throughout the country. All Democrats and 47 Republicans supported the bill, but about 160 Republicans opposed it.

After passing through the Senatewhere a vote is expected soon, the bill must go back through the House of Representatives for a final vote.

“Love is love, and Americans should have the right to marry the person they love,” Biden said in a statement about the bill he vowed to sign once it passes.

“Today’s bipartisan vote brings the United States one step closer to legally protecting that right,” he added.

The bill passed Wednesday does not require states to legalize same-sex marriage. However, it requires states to recognize same sex marriages from other states.

Thus, if the Supreme Court annulled the 2015 ruling that legalized the same sex marriageseven if a state prohibited it, it would still have to recognize such unions formalized in other states.

Polls show that a large majority of Americans support gay marriage but it is still a contentious issue. Among Republicans, 37 voted “no” on Wednesday and the religious right remains overwhelmingly against it.

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