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Sam Smith was part of an important date for LGBTQ+ Americans this afternoon. On Tuesday, December 13th President Joe Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act which offers protections for same-sex marriage and interracial marriage in the event that the Supreme Court overturns Obergefell v. Hodges and Loving v. Virginia, which legalized same-sex and interracial marriages, respectively.
Before officially signing the bill, the White House held a heartfelt ceremony that featured performances from Smith and Nashville's Joy Oladokun, both out and proud members of the queer community, and Cyndi Lauper, a longtime LGBTQ+ ally and advocate.
Smith stepped out in front of the bipartisan crowd on the White House South Lawn wearing an elegant black coat and holding a tiny pink purse. They went on to give a pitch-perfect performance of one of their biggest hits, "Stay With Me."
Later in the ceremony, President Biden gave a quick thank you to Sam for the stunning performance before signing the bill into law. It's important to note that the Respect For Marriage Act doesn't put marriage equality into federal law. Instead, couples who were legally married elsewhere can have their marriage recognized in any state in the US and not lose important benefits like healthcare and parental rights. This article by Jezebel has more information on the bill.
As 2022 wraps up, Smith is gearing up for an exciting new year. The singer-songwriter is set to release their new album Gloria, which will arrive in early 2023. Also, be sure to tune into the 2023 Grammy Awards on February 5th to see if Smith and Kim Petras become the first openly trans and non-binary artists to take home a trophy for their smash hit collab "Unholy."