Shortly after, President Joe Biden issued a proposal that would outright forbid bans on transgender athletes, although it’s receiving some pushback from transgender advocates. 

The bill’s signing comes as Democrats and LGBTQ advocates have expressed growing fear over the possibility that the landmark 2015 Supreme Court case Obergefell v. Hodges—which legalized gay marriage nationwide—could be overturned following the Court’s decision to strike down Roe v. Wade earlier this year.

The Respect for Marriage Act does not require states to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, but it does require states that ban same-sex marriages to recognize these marriages as long as the marriage was valid in the state where it was performed.

Republican lawmakers and right-wing media figures have singled out the LGBTQ community with hateful rhetoric.