Gov. Jerry Brown and San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders are a part of a larger network of local and state officials who are urging the federal government to pass the Respect for Marriage Act, the San Diego Union Tribune reports.
The legislation passed the Senate committee and now awaits voting by the full Senate. If passed, the Respect for Marriage Act would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act – a discriminatory law that defines marriage between a man and a woman, thereby prohibiting same-sex marriages from being federally recognized.
Sanders including 14 other officials have banded together to tell the federal government that their support lies in the legislation underlying the Respect for Marriage Act.
“Tens of thousands of loving and committed gay and lesbian couples have been strengthened because our states recognize their equal right to marry,” the letter said. “These couples work hard, pay taxes and share the same values as other married couples but they are constantly hamstrung in their ability to protect themselves and their families because of the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act.”
Other supporters of the Respect for Marriage Act include San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
