NEW YORK (CMC) – Jamaican-American congresswoman Yvette D Clarke has welcomed the passage of the Respect for Marriage Act in the House of Representatives, saying that it “sends a powerful and resounding message that discrimination is unwelcome in our modern society.”

A bipartisan coalition of legislators on Thursday voted in favour of the measure, 258-169, with one member voting “present.”

US President Joe Biden is expected to soon sign it into law.

“The Respect for Marriage Act has passed, and history is made!” proclaimed Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, who represents the 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn, New York. “This pivotal legislation preserves more than the right for gay and interracial couples to marry, but sends a powerful and resounding message that discrimination is unwelcome in our modern society.”

Clarke told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) on Friday that passage of the legislation is “a step forward for justice and a reminder that we must and will always stand up for what is right, and stand against what is wrong – no matter any bulwarks or bigots blocking the way.”

“Allow me to send my heartfelt congratulations to the LGBTQ+ community, and to all those whose love is protected by today’s progress,” she said. “I understand how many of you have fought tirelessly and fearlessly for this moment. The passage of the Respect for Marriage Act is a testament to the power of your determination and will, and it is a victory that you should relish.

“As we celebrate this momentous occasion and take pride in what it represents, let us also acknowledge the work that lies ahead,” the congresswoman added. “Our pursuit of a world where love and equality are the norm, and where no one has to fear discrimination, persecution, or bigotry must persist. Because let me be clear: this bill was necessitated only by the threat of partisan agitators and a hostile, activist Supreme Court working in unison to regress our nation and our communities. Today, they have failed.

“Today, marriage equality is the law of the land,” Clarke affirmed. “And I will always rise to ensure it stays that way.”

In announcing the tally, US House of Representatives’ Speaker, Democrat Nancy Pelosi, said: “Today, we stand up for the values the vast majority of Americans hold dear: A belief in the dignity, beauty and divinity — spark of divinity — in every person, and abiding respect for love so powerful that it binds two people together.”

In a White House statement, President Biden noted that Congress took “a critical step to ensure that Americans have the right to marry the person they love.