Republican Told Gay Son He Was Against Same-Sex Marriage Bill

Republican Representative Glenn Thompson told his newly-wedded gay son that he would vote against the Respect for Marriage Act—legislation that seeks to protect same-sex and interracial marriage—before attempting to block the landmark bill.

On Thursday, congressional lawmakers voted to pass the legislation, sending it to President Joe Biden's desk for his signature. Although the bill cleared Congress with bipartisan support, with 39 House Republicans on board, Thompson was among the 169 who voted "no."

Thompson, who voted against the initial version of the bill right before attending his son's wedding, HuffPost's Arthur Delaney that he had given his son a heads-up before voting against the new version of the legislation. The Pennsylvania Republican declined to share his son's reaction.

Democrats rushed to get a vote on federal legislation protecting same-sex marriage after the Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling over the summer.

Republican Glenn Thompson Against Same-Sex Marriage Bill
Above, a gay couple shows their wedding rings as they celebrate the Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage on June 26, 2015, in West Hollywood, California. Inset: Representative Glenn Thompson. Thompson voted against a bill... David McNew/Getty; Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc/Getty

The Respect for Marriage Act, which won the support of a dozen Senate Republicans last week, doesn't set a national standard requiring states to legalize same-sex marriage, but mandates that individual states recognize legal marriages of other states. However, a day before the vote, Thompson told Axios, "From what I've seen so far, it doesn't look like it changed my vote."

After Thursday's vote, the Republican congressman released a statement arguing that the bill doesn't do enough to protect religious liberties.

"Individuals have the freedom and the right to choose who to grow old with in life. However, the bill lacks the appropriate constitutional protections for religious liberties enshrined in the First Amendment," the statement read.

Thompson generated headlines over the summer after he attended his son's wedding just three days after joining the majority of House Republicans in voting against the Respect for Marriage Act. His son confirmed to NBC News that his father was in attendance.

After the wedding, the congressman's office released a statement saying that he and his wife were "very happy" to welcome their new son-in-law "into their family" and said Thompson and his wife were "thrilled to celebrate their son's marriage."

A video shared with Buzzfeed News by a wedding guest showed Thompson speaking at the wedding and telling those in attendance how "blessed" he felt to celebrate the marriage of his son and new son-in-law.

"As they grow and as they get a little older, we also hope and pray they're going to find that one true love so that they have the opportunity to experience that: Someone to grow old with," the Republican congressman said. "We love it when they find their one true love, especially when they become a part of our families then. That's what we're rooting for."

He also described having "a new son enter the family" as "a really good experience" during his toast.

Days before the wedding, his spokesperson told Centre Daily Times that the Respect for Marriage Act 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."

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About the writer


Katherine Fung is a Newsweek reporter based in New York City. Her focus is reporting on U.S. and world politics. ... Read more

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