INDIANA — Faced with no longer having a trifecta in Washington at the start of the year, Democrats are moving hastily during this lame-duck session.
They're working to pass legislation House Republicans, when they're in charge, might choose to not hear. The Respect for Marriage Act is one of those bills.
Twelve Republican Senators joined 50 Democrats to overcome the filibuster on Tuesday to ensure The Respect for Marriage Act will become law.
Greg hasty has a lot to say about the federal government inching closer to protecting same-sex marriages. He and his husband CJ brought a lawsuit that eventually struck down Indiana's ban on gay marriage back in 2014.
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"It felt great. It felt great to have that security and to be able to start a family in a secure way," Hasty said.
However, Hasty was frank about the work left to do for true equality in the LGBTQ+ community.
"It would be comical if it wasn't so painful for so many of us to look at the way we're tossed around as a wedge issue and political tool," Hasty said.
Dozens of anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been put forth across the country.
Factor in those bills, along with Supreme Court Justice Clarence signaling he'd like to overturn Obergefell v. Hodges, Hasty said it just makes sense to codify same-sex marriage into federal law.
"We were getting a sense that the court was okay with striking down long-standing precedent. So, it would make us feel uncomfortable with new precedent like Obergefell," Hasty said.
Twelve Republican Senators, including Todd Young, joined all 50 democrats to advance The Respect for Marriage Act.
"Really proud of Todd Young. We actually had a great chance to talk to his office. His staff gave us a lot of time to tell stories and listen to the impact marriage equality has had on our families and what would happen if we lost that," Hasty said.
Even though things aren't perfect, Hasty knows the impact the respect for marriage act passing will have on LGBTQ+ families is monumental.
"It'll be at least one sigh of relief for a lot of families across the country who when this passes will be able to safely sleep at night knowing their family unit can stay intact," Hasty said.
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