The United States Senate on Wednesday, 16 November, voted to advance a crucial bill protecting recognition of same-sex marriages.
Why this matters: The new Respect for Marriage Act would protect same-sex and interracial marriages by requiring states to recognise legal marriages regardless of “sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin.” The legislation would essentially repeal the older Defense of Marriage Act that legally defined marriage as a union between one man and one woman.
The backdrop: The decision comes amid concerns that the right-leaning US Supreme Court may reverse its 2015 ruling that made same-sex marriages legal across the nation. After striking down of Roe v Wade – legislation which protected abortion rights – in June, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas had said that the apex court had a "duty to correct the error" made in various other precedents.