On the heels of Florida's historic legalization of gay marriage, Democratic U.S. Senator from Florida Bill Nelson and 199 colleagues are cosponsoring the Respect for Marriage Act, a bill that that would repeal the federal Defense for Marriage Act…sort of. 

According to an Equality Florida press release, the bill "ensures that every married couple has the certainty that every federal benefit and protection will flow from a marriage valid where it was performed, even if that couple moves or travels to another state."

The thing is, same-sex couples living in the backwards-ass states that still don't recognize such marriages already do enjoy federal benefits. Plus, the bill doesn't require a "person, state, locality or religious organization to celebrate or license" a same-sex union, the release reads, so it doesn't take away a state's right to restrict marriage. So perhaps the bill's real value lies in its symbolism as well as its timing.

LGBT activists seemed to appreciate the gesture.

“Once again, Senator Nelson has proven to be a true champion for equality,” said Nadine Smith, CEO of Equality Florida. “This week ushered in a new era in Florida, as we became the 36th state to permit loving same-sex couples to wed. The Respect for Marriage Act will ensure that all married couples throughout the nation will enjoy the rights and protections provided by the federal government.”

The thing is, there are still places where you can be fired for your sexual orientation or your gender identity, so championing something like the Employee Nondiscrimination Act would have been a bit cooler. 

Although the Respect for Marriage Act, which has been floating around in Washington since 2009, seems more of a kind gesture than anything else, it probably won't see the light of day with this Congress. Notably, only one Republican, Florida Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, is visibly supporting it.

This is likely to be the best we can expect over the next (we hope) few years: a GOP stonewall of even the smallest extension of basic good.

What the GOP has been working on in the two days since Congress has been in session? Oh, I dunno. Banning abortion and other classic hits?

This article appears in Jan 1-7, 2015.