Statement on President Biden not seeking reelection
July 21, 2024
Washington, DC –– Following the final passage of the Respect for Marriage Act in the Senate, ERA Coalition / Fund for Women’s Equality President and CEO Zakiya Thomas released the following statement:
Access to abortion was not the only issue to come under attack after the Supreme Court ruled to overturn Roe v. Wade in their Dobbs decision; same sex marriage was also highlighted by the court as fodder for repeal.
Today, Congress has taken action to pass the Respect for Marriage Act, which would ‘repeal the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act and ensure that legally married same-sex and interracial couples are entitled to the same protections and recognition from the federal government as all other married couples; and that those marriages will be respected in other states regardless of where a married couple lives or travels,’ according to GLAAD, an ERA Coalition partner.
This very basic right to equal treatment under the law for same sex and interracial couples is long over due, and we’re elated Congress took this much needed step toward equality.
Next up should be the bill to repeal the time limit on the ERA, which has still yet to have its day in the Senate. It’s time to guarantee sex equality in the U.S. Constitution for all, especially those whose rights are being systematically stripped away such as women, nonbinary, and LGBTQ+ people.”
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The ERA Coalition was founded in 2014 to bring concerted, organized action to the effort to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. The ERA Coalition has a sister organization, the Fund for Women’s Equality, which promotes public education and outreach on the need for constitutional equality. Composed of more than 280 organizations across the country, the Coalition provides education and advocacy on constitutional Equality.
While the effort to amend the constitution to include sex equality began nearly a century ago, our renewed efforts are centered on women of color (African American, Asian American/Pacific Islander, Latina, and Native American), gender-nonconforming and transgender women and girls, and nonbinary people – those who are most impacted by systemic inequities.www.eracoalition.org | www.fundforwomensequality.org
