Which of the following groups publicly supports gay marriage

And yet, in recent weeks, members of Congress have publicly thanked these and other groups for their advice on amending the Respect for Marriage Act — a bill that would protect same-sex marriage under federal law. On Thursday, the House voted in favor of the act, with 39 Republicans joining all the Democrats.

In an age of extreme partisanship and rigid group delineations, this victory shows that not all is lost. It demonstrates that the American model of representative democracy — though riddled with divisions — can still address complex contemporary issues.

Gay Marriage Around the World

This last point is particularly important. As Yale law professor William Eskridge, a long-time advocate of gay marriagetold me, those with traditional attitudes toward marriage have felt social pressure to move into their own closets regarding their faith-based views.

Marian Edmonds-Allen, the executive director of Parity, a nonprofit group that engages both religious and LGBTQ communities, said the effort behind the Respect for Marriage Act should offer a model for resolving other intractable issues. Sadly, not everyone is enthusiastic.

On the right, criticism has largely centered on calling for even stronger religious freedom amendments or strenuously objecting to the inclusion of same-sex marriage in any federally codified definition of marriage. They are calling on Congress to advance the Equality Act, which aims to prohibit discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex status, but is largely devoid of robust religious freedom provisions.

But they are overlooking the more important things they did get: protections that might not have been possible without some level of cooperation from the other side, and reinforcement that the government can enshrine the most important principles in law. On the one hand, these diverse interests make sweeping political victories unlikely, which should breed a sense of political modesty.

On the other hand, that should also foster a sense of security. Political modesty, alas, rarely rallies donors or drives voter turnout. But over time, the model of political pluralism embodied in the Respect for Marriage Act can help renew national trust. When political opponents are no longer existential threats, we start to see how they might actually be partners in protecting reciprocal rights.

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