Earlier this year, Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in the Dobbs decision that the court should reconsider the 2015 Obergefell decision. I feared what would come next and hoped that our senators and representatives would take action to protect same-sex marriages by enshrining these protections into law. I value personal freedom and self-autonomy; because of that, our rights must be protected.
I thank Sen. Mitt Romney and our U.S. House representatives for supporting the passage of the Respect for Marriage Act because it guarantees that marriages between same-sex and interracial couples are respected, recognized and protected by the federal government.
The actions taken by our representatives have eliminated fear in the eyes of Utah’s LGBTQ couples. The passage of this act is a giant step forward that shows everyone in the United States of America receives and deserves equal treatment. I expect many won’t understand why this act is of such importance. I only ask that you try to have empathy for those who have had to worry that everything we have worked toward could be taken away just because of who we love. Perhaps the passage of this act is a good reminder that out of faith, hope and love, the greatest of these will always be love.
Michael Gura, Millcreek
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