SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (WXYZ) — President Joe Biden took pen to paper Tuesday to codify same-sex marriage protections into federal law.
The signing of the bill officially voids the Defense of Marriage Act, which defined marriage as between a man and a woman. It also mandates that states honor the validity of out-of-state marriage licenses.
Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter was on the South Lawn in Washington D.C. as the president signed the Respect for Marriage Act. The White House was lit up with rainbow colors, signifying the end of a 10-year battle.
For the first time in history, same-sex couples have marriage protections in all 50 states. The shift seemed impossible for many in Washington not too long ago.
"Oh my God. As a young man, I couldn't dream of the rights LGBTQ people have now," Coulter said.
Coulter said he couldn't turn down the president's invitation to witness history in the making.
He headed back to Detroit Tuesday evening after flying to D.C. that morning.
"This legislation protects and codifies same-sex and interracial marriages in federal law to make it's protected," said Coulter. "You know, it's personal to me."
Joshua Miller also feels personally impacted by the signing of the bill. He, too, works for Oakland County as an assistant prosecutor.
He came out as gay in college about two years before the Michigan Supreme Court banned same-sex marriage.
"In high school, I was terrified and at times contemplating suicide," Miller said. "And to know now this is where we are, it's — indescribable."
In 2021, 68% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, which was up 14 percentage points from 2014, according to surveys from the nonprofit and nonpartisan organization the Public Religious Research Institute.
Miller credits the change of heart to grassroots efforts and persuasion.
"The LGBT community by most estimates is 10% of the population, so you necessarily have to reach out to your friends, your allies," Miller said.
Coulter and Miller both took their positions to make a difference and fight for people who are different, but they say the work is far from over.
"LGBT people are still legally subject to discrimination in Michigan and a lot of people don't recognize that, so I think changing the Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act is one of the last steps and just a really important thing to do to make sure everyone is treated equally," Coulter said.
