mr. solmonese. that is whether the respect for marriage act has the impact on churches and respondent's exhibit organizations to freely expressed their views? >> thank you, senator, what i mentioned before what we are here to discuss and at the heart of the legislation how the federal government treats lawfully married people in the states where marriage equality is the stand. it does not require individuals or religious organizations to do anything. as you know, the first amendment protects the rights of churches and religious organization to determine who they will or will not marry. >> i think that's an important point for some people. because freedom of religion is so important to many people in any state and across the country. i know senator feinstine made that point. you appreciate you making that. this bill doesn't in any way require churches, sin -- synagogues or mosque to recognize. thank you, i appreciate it -- i thought the panel before this, not that your panel is stupendous, i thought

mr. solmonese. >> thank you, senator., first and foremost, perhaps the most powerful contributor to changing american public opinions on the question of same-sex marriage or the circumstances of our relationships generally were perhaps best displayed in the previous panel. hard working, committed, loving americans having the opportunity to tell the stories of their lives, and more to the point, to really talk about the inequities and the injustice that we face in the absence of marriage equality. and i think that all across this country the more opportunities that we have had to tell those stories, to help people understand the circumstances of our lives and in particular when i reflect on ron's story in the previous panel, the genuine inequity and disparity that we face in the absence of marriage e l quality, i think that most americans and most americans to my way of thinking are fair-minded and optimistic, can't help but be moved by these stories and can't help but be moved in the direction of understanding the need fo