Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson, a Republican federal lawmaker from Pennsylvania attended his gay son’s wedding last week, three days after voting against a bill that would enshrine protections for same-sex marriage.
Thompson’s spokesperson confirmed that he celebrated his son’s nuptials on Friday July 22, after voting against the bipartisan bill that would protect same-sex marriages like his son’s should the Supreme Court overturn its previous ruling legalizing gay marriage.
Maddison Stone, a spokeswoman for Thompson, said in the statement;
“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.
“The Thompsons are very happy to welcome their new son-in-law into their family.”
NBC News first reported Thompson’s attendance at his son’s wedding following his vote against the “Respect for Marriage Act” last Tuesday.
US lawmaker who voted against gay marriage attends gay son?s wedding days later
The Respect for Marriage Act will face a vote in the Senate and needs to earn the support of at least 10 GOPers along with all 50 Democrats in order to pass.
The act repeals the federal definition of marriage being exclusively between a man and a woman and adds federal protections for married same-sex couples.
Democratic legislators introduced the bill to squash fears of the conservative-majority Supreme Court overturning its 2015 decision that declared state laws barring same-sex marriage are unconstitutional and legalized gay marriage on a national level.
Thompson was one of 157 House Republicans to oppose the legislation, which would codify the right to same-sex and interracial marriages nationwide. Thompson’s office did not respond to a follow-up question about why he decided to vote against the measure, which is now being considered by the Senate, where 10 Republicans are needed to overcome a filibuster.
Thompson’s office, when asked to explain the congressman’s vote, pointed to a statement they issued last week calling the bill a “messaging stunt.”
His spokesperson said;
“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.”