Why the Christian right couldn’t stop the same-sex marriage bill

Yet despite having been crafted specifically to address their concerns, this new language failed to satisfy top Christian right leaders, who persisted in portraying the legislation as a near existential threat. The Heritage Foundation claimed that the bill was poised to put "a giant target on the back of individuals, nonprofit organizations, adoption agencies, schools, and businesses that hold fast to the truth about marriage," … 

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, one of the bill's co-sponsors, rebutted these false claims in a floor speech last week. She read the bill's language that "diverse beliefs about the role of gender in marriage are held by reasonable and sincere people based on decent and honorable religious or philosophical premises." This recognition that "such people and their diverse beliefs are due proper respect," she noted, "directly rebuts the claim that the bill can be construed to establish a public policy against people of faith. It does precisely the opposite." As to opponents' claims that the bill "could still somehow be used to deprive religious organizations of their tax-exempt status," Collins said, "This is simply false."

https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/christian-right-couldnt-stop-sex-marriage-bill-rcna59182

11th Circuit Slaps Down Judge Cannon! (Opening Arguments podcast OA655)

It’s a bit of a good news show! The Respect for Marriage Act has passed the Senate! Justice Alito was ratted out by a Rev. Schenck. And, the 11th Circuit delivered a whopper of a decision putting an end to the Judge Cannon Naro Lago nonsense.

Interview: 

https://openargs.com/oa655-11th-circuit-slaps-down-judge-cannon/

Here are the GOP senators who voted against the same-sex marriage bill | The Hill

Under the Respect for Marriage Act, all states are required to recognize same-sex and interracial marriages performed in another state, though it does not compel states to perform same-sex marriages…
https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/3758652-here-are-the-gop-senators-who-voted-against-the-same-sex-marriage-bill/

Opinion | Mormon support for the Respect for Marriage bill is a sham - The Washington Post

At church-sponsored Brigham Young University, students have noted that church rights still take precedence over the rights of the LGBTQ community. Such attitudes and policies surrounding issues of sexual identity are fueling a faith crisis among many Mormons of my generation...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/11/23/mormons-respect-for-marriage-support-sham/

Respect for Marriage Act Advances in the Senate! (Opening Arguments podcast OA649)

…despite Mitch McConnell voting against codifying his own marriage into law… This is good news! Is it perfect news? As usual, no! But is it still very good? Yes! Would this have happened without Democrats controlling congress even by the slimmest possible majority? NO! 

Also, MAJOR show announcement! And it’s a good one! Then Liz Dye joins to talk about a judge slapping down the Stop Woke Act.op

Interview: 

https://openargs.com/oa649-respect-for-marriage-act-advances-in-the-senate/

Schumer sets up Senate vote on same-sex marriage bill - The Washington Post

"The Respect for Marriage Act is a needed step to provide millions of loving couples in same-sex and interracial marriages the certainty that they will continue to enjoy the freedoms, rights, and responsibilities afforded to all other marriages," Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said in a joint statement Monday.

"Through bipartisan collaboration, we've crafted commonsense language to confirm that this legislation fully respects and protects Americans' religious liberties and diverse beliefs, while leaving intact the core mission of the legislation to protect marriage equality," they continued. "We look forward to this legislation coming to the floor and are confident that this amendment has helped earn the broad, bipartisan support needed to pass our commonsense legislation into law."…

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/11/14/schumer-gay-marriage-bill-senate/

Opinion | The culture war calculation has changed, and Democrats need to respond - The Washington Post

Let's be clear: Overturning Obergefell and making it possible for states to outlaw same-sex marriage is still the official position of the Republican Party. Republicans laid that out in their 2016 platform, which they re-adopted in full in 2020...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/09/09/culture-war-calculation-abortion-marriage/

Collins and Baldwin: It's time for the Senate to codify marriage equality

The big picture: The Respect for Marriage Act is part of Democrats' response to conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas' signaling that rulings on marriage equality, LGBTQ+ rights and contraception could also be reconsidered after Roe v. Wade was overturned...

https://www.axios.com/2022/09/07/collins-baldwin-marriage-equality