This was a day of celebration for so many families in our state.
The legislation protects same-sex marriages, as well interracial ones.
Biden is expected to sign the bill quickly, since it also already passed the Senate.
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“It's such a great day for us, for married couples all over the country,” said Beth Bye, who is also the Office of Early Childhood commissioner.
Bye and her wife Tracey Wilson were the first same-sex couple to be married in Connecticut back in 2008.
The Respect for Marriage Act requires states to recognize all marriages that were legal where they were performed.
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“It's really exciting,” Wilson said.
Democrats had moved the measure quickly after concerns same-sex marriage rights could be overturned like abortion rights were.
“You really have to time and time again stand up for your rights and make sure that they are enforced, and you can't sort of let your guard down,” Wilson said.
All of Connecticut’s representatives voted in favor with Rosa DeLauro tweeting:
“Today’s action shows our determination to protect civil rights that have been earned through generations of persistence.”
Some Republicans voted in favor, though most did not with some saying that they do not support same-sex marriage and they think there should be more protections for those who refuse services to those couples.
While advocates think there is more work to do, they point to progress including the more than two-thirds of Americans who now approve of same-sex marriage.
“We've watched how minds and hearts have changed. And really love is at the center of it, that love is love has really moved this along,” Bye said.
While the bill requires states to recognize legal marriages, it does not force states to allow same-sex couples to marry.
A U.S. Supreme Court decision back in 2015 legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.
