Social security and marriage equality act

Attendees at Tuesday's ceremony included Judy Kasen-Windsor, the widow of Edie Windsor, whose 2013 landmark case before the Supreme Court determined that legally married same-sex couples are entitled to the same federal benefits as heterosexual couples; Matthew Haynes, the owner of Club Q , a Colorado Springs LGBTQ club where five people were killed last month; Club Q survivors James Slaugh and Michael Anderson; plaintiffs in the case that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide; an attorney in the case that legalized interracial marriage; and a survivor of the Pulse nightclub shooting. The president thanked activists who made personal sacrifices along the way. "My fellow Americans, the road to this moment has been long," the president said. "But those who believe in equality and justice, you never gave up. Many of you are standing out on the South Lawn here. So many of you put your relationships on the line, your jobs on the line, your lives on the line." Appearing on the White House South Lawn stage ahead of the president, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer lauded the day as one of celebration. For Schumer, the new law is personal. "The tie I am wearing reminds me what this moment is all about," Schumer said. "It's the tie I wore on the day my daughter got married to a beautiful young lady, one of the happiest days of my life. Today, she and her wife are expecting their first child next spring, my third grandchild. And I want them to raise their child with all the love and security that every kid deserves. And thanks to the millions out there who spent years pushing for change and thanks to the dogged work of my colleagues, my grandchild will get to live in a world that respects and honors their mother's marriage." Pelosi, too, expressed her enthusiasm for the changing tides of history. "When I was ending my term as speaker the first time, one of the last bills I signed as speaker was December 2010, the repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,'" Pelosi said. "And now it is so fitting in one of my final acts of speakership was to sign the Respect for Marriage Act." Surprise performers included Cyndi Lauper, who sang"True Colors," and Sam Smith, who performed "Stay With Me." "Americans can now love who they love," Lauper told reporters in the White House briefing room ahead of the event. Kristin Brown contributed to this report.

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Kathryn Watson is a politics reporter for CBS News Digital, based in Washington, D.C.