Rep. Glenn Thompson said he is “thrilled” to have a new gay son-in-law, despite making direct actions to dismantle gay marriage rights.
In a classic case of “if it doesn’t effect me (and if no one finds out) then why should I care”, Pennsylvanian Rep. Glenn Thompson attended his gay son’s wedding just three (three) days after he and the rest of his GOP colleagues voted against a House bill that would codify federal protections for same-sex marriage.
Last week, 157 House Republicans, including Thompson, voted against the Respect for Marriage Act, a bill that would repeal the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, a piece of legislation which allowed states to ban same-sex marriage.
The act also establishes that no individual may use state law to deny “any public act, record, or judicial proceeding of any other State pertaining to a marriage between 2 individuals, on the basis of the sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin of those individuals.”
The bill is a measure by House Democrats, following Roe v Wade, that seeks to protect rights established by the Supreme Court which fall under “right to privacy”.
Some of those rights include: the right to same-sex marriage, access to contraceptives, and the decriminalization of relationships between same-sex couples.
So quite big things.
Thompson’s gay son told NBC News on Monday (July 25) that he “married the love of [his] life” on Friday and that his “father was there.”
Thompson’s press secretary, Maddison Stone, also confirmed to NBC News that the congressman was in attendance.
“Congressman and Mrs. Thompson were thrilled to attend and celebrate their son’s marriage on Friday night as he began this new chapter in his life,” Stone said in an email, adding that the Thompsons are “very happy” to welcome their new son-in-law “into their family.”
Aww.
Thompson made no reference at all to his son’s wedding on Twitter.
Buzzfeed news managed to get hold of the speech Thompson made at the nuptials. It’s only a small clip but doesn’t he sound happy to be at a gay wedding…
.@BuzzfeedNews uncovers new audio of Rep. Glenn Thompson’s (R-PA) speech at his gay son’s wedding three days after voting against federal recognition of same-sex marriages:
“This has been a really good experience … to have a new son enter the family … We’re just blessed.” pic.twitter.com/m4W7YLolkU
— The Recount (@therecount) July 26, 2022
You can listen to more from that speech, via Buzzfeed, here.
After voting against the legislation, Thompson’s spokesperson made excuses for his very real vote, telling the Centre Daily Times in Pennsylvania that the bill was “nothing more than an election-year messaging stunt for Democrats in Congress who have failed to address historic inflation and out-of-control prices at gas pumps and grocery stores.”
Unfortunately, LGBTQ+ rights including same-sex marriage are under real threat in the US right now. And it isn’t a “stunt”.
According to Gallup, 71% of Americans support marriage for same-sex couples. 55% of Republicans support same-sex marriage, along with 83% of Democrats and 73% of Independents.
However, increasingly, it seems it is not the rights, desires or decisions of real Americans that matter when it comes to the far-right and its agenda, as expressed by President Biden back in June, when he said: “This MAGA crowd is really the most extreme political organization that’s existed in American history, in recent American history”
Wow
Here in Pennsylvania we have a GOP Congressman named Glenn Thompson who attended his son’s gay wedding THREE DAYS after voting against gay marriage
I would have disinvited his bigoted ass
Without hypocrisy, these Republicans would have no “values” at all— Lindy Li (@lindyli) July 26, 2022
Glenn Thompson voted AGAINST gay marriage despite attending his son’s gay marriage 3 days later
GOP passes heinous abortion bans despite having wives & daughters
GOP stops all action on climate despite having families
They don’t give a flying fuck about anyone but themselves— Lindy Li (@lindyli) July 26, 2022