FILE - With the U.S. Capitol in the background, a person waves a rainbow flag as they participant in a rally in support of the LGBTQIA+ community at Freedom Plaza (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
SALT LAKE CITY — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued a statement Tuesday afternoon supporting the newest version of the Respect for Marriage Act, which seeks to codify protections for same-sex and interracial marriages.
“We believe this approach is the way forward,” the church said in a press release.
The statement applauded the efforts to maintain religious freedom alongside protections for the LGBTQ+ community.
In the statement, the church said that the doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints still defines marriage as being between a man and a woman and that that belief will not change.
In his response on Twitter, Troy Williams from Equality Utah called the Church’s statement a way forward, and that it is evidence that people with opposing viewpoints can work together.
On Monday, a bipartisan group of senators said they’d agreed on new legislation that both cements the right to marry and provides protections for religious liberty.
Later on Monday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer began the process of setting up a procedural vote. That vote could happen as early as Wednesday.