EXPLAINER: Congress is acting on gay, interracial marriage

CHICAGO (AP) — Legislation that ensures same-sex and interracial marriages are recognized as legal unions appears headed for final approval and President Joe Biden's signature, a bipartisan agreement that reflects a wider acceptance of gay rights in both Congress and the country.

For many of the couples whose marriages will be protected, approval of the Respect for Marriage Act brought a sense of relief and was cause for celebration. But they also say more work needs to be done.

The measure advanced due to supporters’ fears that a conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court may undo rights that took decades to obtain, just as the court overturned the longstanding right to abortion earlier this year. And it does not stop states from denying these couples the right to marry in the future, should the Supreme Court ever overturn the 2015 ruling legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide.