The new bipartisan "Respect for Marriage Act," recently passed by Congress requires federal and state governments to recognize legal marriages regardless of a couple's sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin. University of Arkansas Law Professor Danielle Weatherby, said, however, the new law will provide only limited protection if the current Conservative-majority U.S. Supreme Court decides to reverse Obergefell v. Hodges, the 2015 Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage in all fifty states.
Understanding the New Federal "Respect for Marriage Act"
![Rainbow Flag unfurled at Fayetteville Pride Parade circa 2018.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2411d6f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/941x1280+0+0/resize/880x1197!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ffd%2F61%2Fdb00e5f44e24a0c3510d6f23b6f2%2Fpride-flag-fvlle-2018.jpeg)
Jacqueline Froelich