California politicians and Los Angeles nonprofits celebrated on Nov. 29 after the United States Senate voted to pass the “Respect for Marriage Act,” which would mandate federal recognition for same-sex marriages.

President Joe Biden said on Twitter that he looks forward to signing the bill after it is voted on by the House of Representatives.

“The institution of marriage is important in this country. Simply put, Americans should be free to marry the person they love, regardless of sexual orientation or race, without fear of discrimination or fear that their marriages will be invalidated,” Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif) said.

Feinstein first introduced the bill with two other senators in 2011, and while public support for public marriage has grown since then, the bill is critical to ensuring protections for legal marriage, she said.

“The ‘Respect for Marriage Act’ will guarantee legal protections for millions of marriages in the United States, ensuring that marriages entered into legally are given full faith and credit by every state and the federal government,” Feinstein said.

U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) also cheered the Senate’s vote.

“Today, Congress took definitive steps to reassure the American people that our rights are inalienable, and that the freedom to marry whomever you love is the irrevocable law of the land. That millions of LGBTQ+ and interracial couples across the country have had to fear otherwise, in 2022, is tragic, and it speaks to the perilous moment we are in, with a partisan and reactionary court determined to roll back the clock on so many of the freedoms our nation holds dear,” Schiff said.

In a statement following the vote, the Los Angeles LGBT Center said that the vote received greater urgency after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, and it underscored the need for the gay community to organize and support itself.

“This is a necessary and momentous occasion for the LGBTQ movement, and we look forward to President Biden signing this incredible achievement once it arrives on his desk,” Joey Espinoza-Hernández, director of policy & community building at the Los Angeles LGBT Center, said. “While this is cause for celebration, there is still much more work to be done for our community’s liberation.”

In a Nov. 29 statement, the city of West Hollywood also applauded the vote.

“The Respect for Marriage Act specifically repeals and replaces provisions that defined marriage and spouse in a way that was discriminatory to same-sex marriage,” Mayor Lauren Meister said. “It requires all marriages to be recognized across the country, no matter where the marriage is performed. Although this is long overdue, it is a positive step for marriage equality for both same-sex marriages and interracial marriages.”

City Councilman John D’ Amico said the vote was a win for equality and fairness, and meaningful for all Americans.

“But for me, this is another blistering reminder that even though the U.S. Constitution asserts that everyone in America is ‘created equal,’ equality remains a mediated state often available in uneven amounts.”