ABOVE: Rep. Glenn Thompson. Photo via Thompson’s Facebook.
Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.) last week joined the majority of his GOP colleagues in voting against the “Respect for Marriage Act.”
Thompson attended his gay son’s wedding three days later and was “very happy” to welcome his new son-in-law to his family.
Thompson’s gay son confimed to NBC News that he “married the love of his life” last Friday and his “father was there.”
Thompson’s press secretary, Madison Stone, further attested to Thompson’s presence in the wedding. In an office statement she stated, “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.”
Last Tuesday, Thompson joined 156 other House Republican members and voted against the “Respect for Marriage Act,” which would codify marriage rights for same-sex couples amid fears those rights are at risk in the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.
Thompson didn’t directly address the question why voted against the bill, but last week his office issued a statement asserting that the bill was nothing but a “messaging stunt” for Democrats.
“This 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,” Stone wrote in an email to Centre Daily Times.
47 House Republicans voted in favor of the “Respect for Marriage Act,” which is now being considered by the Senate. In order to get the bill to the desk of President Biden, 10 GOP lawmakers will need to join 50 Democrats.
However, a number of Republican Senates still publicly displayed their opposition against same-sex marriage. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) called the bill a “stupid waste of time,” and Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) commented that the bill was “unnecessary.”
Republicans who indicated support for the legislation include Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.).
