Anti-LGBTQ lawmaker who celebrated son’s gay wedding just can’t find the connection – Queerty
Pennsylvania GOP Rep. Glen Thompson can’t figure out why everyone made such a fuss about the fact that he celebrated his gay son’s wedding just three days after casting his vote against protecting same-sex marriage rights. It’s a real head-scratcher, isn’t it?
To recap, last month Thompson was one of 157 Republicans to vote against the Respect for Marriage Act, which seeks to repeal the Clinton-era Defense of Marriage Act and require federal recognition of same-sex marriages in the United States.
Days later he said — through a spokesperson– that he was “thrilled to attend and celebrate” his gay son’s wedding.
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The House vote came about after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, sending the issue of abortion back to individual states. Many of those states have since made access to abortion impossible or highly restricted. Justice Clarence Thomas, in his concurring opinion on the ruling, said the court should look again at Obergefell v. Hodges. That 2015 case legalized same-sex marriage across the U.S.
Speaking with NBC news affiliate WJAC, Thompson said, “I was surprised first of all that my personal family business became a national focus. I’ll be honest with you I didn’t read, see, or hear any of that as we were busy as a family at that point.”
If he wants help drawing a connection, he could start with his own guest list.
A wedding attendee leaked audio of Thompson’s toast to Buzzfeed News, telling the outlet “I think the word should definitely get out there. These politicians need to be exposed for who they really are.”
Related: Audio of anti-LGBTQ lawmaker’s speech at gay son’s wedding leaks and the tweets are brutal
Thompson added insult to injury by calling his critics “sad.”
“It shows you what some people will do and how sad some people are with what they will politicize,” he said. “I’m just so thankful for all the support I received not only among my constituents but quite frankly across the state and surprisingly all across the country.”
The way he sees it, “those political messaging bills, and the Democrats do those before the election — that’s exactly what that was all about.”
The bill’s exclusively Republican opponents argue it is superfluous as Supreme Court precedent already protects the right of two individuals to marry in the United States, despite the fact that 50 years of abortion rights precedent just went up in smoke.
47 of his GOP House colleagues crossed the aisle to be on the right side of history and protect the hard-won rights of LGBTQ Americans.
The bill is now in the hands of the Senate, where Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has said he’ll bring it to the floor when he has the necessary Republican support for it to pass.