FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 29, 2022
CONTACT
Jonny Levenfeld, West End Strategy Team
jlevenfeld@westendstrategy.com; 202-704-4535
Interfaith Alliance: Senate Passage of Respect for Marriage Act Advances Religious Freedom, Affirms Common Values
WASHINGTON—After the Senate voted tonight to pass the Respect for Marriage Act, interfaith advocates are celebrating a historic step forward to provide legal stability for all married couples and their families and to honor the common tenet that every person has inherent dignity and worth.
“Diverse faith traditions across the nation came together to demand respect for LGBTQ+ Americans – we staked our ground and refused to let this opportunity slip away,” said The Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, president and CEO of Interfaith Alliance. “I savor this victory for the millions of LGBTQ+ families like mine, with hope that this will propel our government to keep fighting for an America where all belong.”
The breadth of support for the Respect for Marriage among diverse religious groups has been unprecedented. In September, 45 denominations and faith-based organizations, representing millions of religious Americans, affirmed their support for the bill. And just yesterday, four major Christian denominations joined multifaith partners in a letter to Congress backing the religious freedom protections in the bill. These efforts followed additional public calls from the LDS Church, the National Association of Evangelicals, the NETWORK Catholic Social Justice Lobby, 12 Sikh American organizations, and 108 Jewish groups urging the Senate to pass the Respect for Marriage Act.
“The vast majority of religious Americans support equal protection for LGBTQ+ people, because we know that religious freedom goes hand-in-hand with equality,” said Katy Joseph, director of policy and advocacy at Interfaith Alliance. “This inspiring, bipartisan effort shows what’s possible when religion is used as a catalyst for positive change.”
Interfaith Alliance, a national organization devoted to protecting the integrity of both religion and democracy in America, has been on the front lines of faith-based advocacy in support of the Respect for Marriage Act. If you are interested in speaking further with Interfaith Alliance, please contact Jonny Levenfeld at 202-704-4535 or jlevenfeld@westendstrategy.com.
Interfaith Alliance celebrates religious freedom by championing individual rights, promoting policies that protect both religion and democracy, and uniting diverse voices to challenge extremism. Founded in 1994, Interfaith Alliance brings together members from 75 faith traditions as well as those without a faith tradition to protect faith and freedom. For more information visit www.interfaithalliance.org.