Representative Julie Brownley from California (D) is leading the charge to remove gendered words from federal law, replacing the terms with gender-neutral language.
The “Amend the Code for Marriage Equality Act” would remove “gendered terms like ‘husband’ and ‘wife’ from federal laws” and replace them with terms such as “spouse” or “married person.”
Phrases such as “one man and one woman” would also be removed and replaced with “two people as spouses.”
“Although the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges that same-sex couples have the right to marry, there are many instances where the U.S. Code does not respect that constitutional right,” Brownley said in a press release.
“Now more than ever, with an extreme Supreme Court and state legislatures rolling back the rights of the LGBTQ community, it is imperative that Congress showcases its commitment to supporting equality,” the press release continued.
The press release added, “This common-sense bill will ensure that our federal code reflects the equality of all marriages by recognizing and acting upon the notion that the words in our laws have meaning and our values as a country are reflected in our laws.”
Reporting from Fox News:
Brownley has introduced the same legislation during previous sessions of Congress, seeking to pass the bill in 2021, 2019 and 2017, according to a report from the Washington Times. It was originally introduced by former Rep. Lois Capps, D-Calif., in 2015, and in 2021 had 39 Democrats co-sponsor the effort.
