Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
A PENNSYLVANIA REPRESENTATIVE attended the same-sex wedding of his son three days after voting against legislation to protect the recognition of same-sex marriages.
Glenn Thompson, a Republican who represents a large swath of conservative northern Pennsylvania, voted against the bill brought by Democrats to the floor of the US House.
The vote came amid concerns that the Supreme Court ruling overturning the landmark Roe v Wade decision on abortion access could jeopardise other rights aside from access to abortion, including 2015’s Obergefell v Hodges decision, which established the rights of same-sex couples to marry nationwide.
The bill protecting the recognition passed 267 votes to 157 on 19 July, with 47 Republicans — including three from Pennsylvania — joining every Democrat in backing it.
On Friday, Thompson attended the same-sex wedding of his son.
“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,” Thompson’s office said in a statement.
“The Thompsons are very happy to welcome their new son-in-law into their family.”
Thompson’s press secretary also called the bill “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”.
The House bill would require the federal and state governments to recognise same-sex marriages, but would not stop a state from banning such marriages in the future.
In 2014, a federal judge struck down Pennsylvania’s same-sex marriage ban, and then-governor Tom Corbett declined to appeal it.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Imagine being his son, how valued would you feel?
@Ailbhe: He turned up to the wedding didn’t he.id imagine his son feels valued for that.
@Paul Gorry: Marriage for me (family), but not for thee
@Paul Gorry: Ahhh Paul c’mon man! He just voted against people just like his son getting married.
@FiannaFáilness FineGaelness: cmere hear ye for sure. But after doing that he still turned up to his sons wedding. So he loves his son imo to the detriment of his political career.
@Paul Gorry: so if a robber turns up at your gaff will you feel appreciated because they turned up at yours
@Paul Gorry: he voted for discrimination against his son, to prevent his son having the same rights as he has and you call that love. I can’t comprehend your defense for him.
@Paul Gorry: he voted against it because of economic reasons. He sold his soul a long time ago. I just hope he son understands his father cares more about money than he does about really supporting his family.
@Paul Mallon: I know, i know Paul i read the article calm the kacks there. Stop with yer comprehend defence for him shi te.I made a reply to the original posted comment.And i stand by it. If you can’t see me point so be it.
@Paul Gorry: Paul your spelling and logic are both flawed. And least you stand by your BS
@Alan Biddulph: Nothing wrong wif me smelling Alan. Although mf bullshit is another story. Thanks fir the hedsup. APPRECIATED.
@Jake Kelly: If me da wasn’t robbing me house and i caught him?I’d sit him down with a cup of tea and a chat.
@Paul Gorry: spot on! That’s the whole point
@Paul Gorry: he actually has put his career at risk by showing his love for his son and going to the wedding. But he must be respected for his beliefs. If you think 100% of gay people who voted yes in our gay marriage vote then you are mistaken.
@Ailbhe: if you think 100% of the Gay people who voted in Ireland voted yes in our Gay marriage vote then you are very mistaken. I know many who did not vote yes.
@Paul Gorry: Paul, my own dad was considering voting no in the marriage referendum. I’m gay. It was a week before my brother’s wedding. I can tell you that hurt like hell and I felt like I mattered less to my father than he or my brother did. So I promise you, even showing up to the son’s wedding, the son was deeply hurt. Showing up doesn’t change the fact he sees his son as lesser or his rights as unimportant.
And Sean, what are you on about? Did you mean to reply to someone else about a topic I never mentioned?
@Paul Gorry: oh Paul, that’s pretty pathetic. He’s either for same sex marriage or he’s not. He can’t be in both camps. Plenty of his party mates and voters will think the same. he either believes in same sex marriage or he doesn’t. You can’t HALF believe in it.
@2thFairy: the bible is against gay sex. GOD destroyed Sodom and gomorrah because of that and other sins. It may therefore the son’s soul that may be lost
@Tom Mullally: but not in reality, just in the bible.
@Sean: “I know many who did not vote yes.”
Many? Is that a fact? I wonder can you imagine how impressed I am by your deep roots in the gay community. You’re quite something.
@Tom Mullally: The Bible is not my navigator’s chart so there’s no point in you referring to its silly rules here. It’s irrelevant.
@Tom Mullally: ahh jaysus Tom you are on a roll this morning, will you be trying to pray away the gays too?
@Paul Gorry: what?????????
@Paul Mallon: It’s people like him that got Trump elected. No sense or reason in their brain.
@Paul Gorry: I’d say he loves his political career to the detriment of his son.
@Paul Gorry: he loves his powerful Republican job to the decrement of his family No other explanation Total phony sc**b*g
Another example of Republican voting patterns and standards that are tearing the country apart….Americans so need to wake up and focus on their democracy rather than the Kardashians.
Nothing new to be fair. It’s all about appealing to the voter base you have. The only thing he did wrong politicallt was getting caught.
@Diarmuid Hunt: nail on the head
What an auld eejit.
@Joe Bergin.: A Trump head no doubt
While I voted in favour of same sex marriage I’m not going to judge someone for having a different opinion.
@Sean Higgins: Did he have a different opinion?
@Diarmuid Hunt: his vote says he did.
@Sean Higgins: the difference between a personal opinion and this vote is the opinion only impacts him. His vote would potentially impact on millions.
@Sean Higgins: his vote says he has zero credibility.
@Sean Higgins: I would judge anyone who thinks that a certain section of society shouldn’t be allowed to avail of the same legal rights as another based purely on religious reasons. Same sex marriage is civil marriage, not holy matrimony. So he is saying that his own son should be allowed the same civil legal protection as him. I judge those people all day long. They are using the same logic that racists use and the same justification that was used to prevent whites from marrying blacks pre 1970s, blacks from eating in the same restaurants, going to the same schools etc.
@Sean Higgins: it’s not just an opinion though is it? He’s actively voting to hurt people in same sex relationships. It’s laughable to consider him anything but a bigot and he should be openly condemned.
Sure didn’t Leo vote no to gay marriage, and he himself gay, politicians never fail to make you laugh…
@Séadna O’Grádaigh: He also was against allowing gay and lesbian couples adopting kids.
@Séadna O’Grádaigh: How does being gay preclude you from being against gay marriage? Unusual I agree though.
@Séadna O’Grádaigh: Don’t know where you got that idea. Varadkar campaigned for equal marriage.
@Diarmuid Hunt: He wasn’t. He campaigned for equal marriage.
@Séadna O’Grádaigh: no he voted yes to it
@FiannaFáilness FineGaelness: link please you spoofer
@Billybutcher: “I do think that marriage is separate. And marriage in our Constitution is very clear that it’s a man marrying a woman, largely with a view to having a natural family, and if they are unable to do that, obviously then they can adopt. And I would be of the view that it doesn’t have to be the case for everyone, but that the preferable construct in a society is the traditional family, and the State through its laws should protect that and promote that.”
At this point in his life, he was also anti-abortion, stating that “from a human rights point of view”, he didn’t want it legalised in Ireland.
@Séadna O’Grádaigh: “Sure didn’t Leo vote no to gay marriage”
No, that’s a straight lie.
Proof:
“Leo Varadkar calls for a Yes Vote in marriage equality referendum”
@FiannaFáilness FineGaelness: a 12 year old article, people can form new opinions and beliefs over time, e.g. a good friend of mine voted against divorce at age 18, by her own admittance a decision based on admiring her parents marriage. She looks back now and can’t believe her own innocence/naivety
@Séadna O’Grádaigh: yes and he should not be serving in office. He is a disgrace.
@Kevin O’Brien: 2010 interview.
@Sandra Duffy: He was against it originally.
At the end of the day he is reflecting his vote base, it may not be his actual opinion. He is elected to represent his constituents, whether you agree or not with his decision, that’s what he did.
@Sean McCarthy: Well said.His political title is Representative so he is there to vote for his constituents and not his own personal opinion.
If politicians voted on their personal opinion on all issues then there would be chaos.
@Roger Bond: “he is there to vote for his constituents and not his own personal opinion”
Then why did he not vote on behalf of his constituents by voting for gay marriage?
@Sean McCarthy: if that were true then the US would have sensible gun laws and a woman’s right to privacy and access to safe abortions( if she wants one) since both of these positions are favored by the American population. He was voting inline with his Party not the people he represented. I do believe that a politician is supposed to represent all his/her constituents not just those who vote for them.
Well that just sounds like the most awkward dad speech at a wedding reception ever
Read the article: he voted against this particular bill not through any personal opposition to same-sex marriage, but because he saw the bill as a political stunt by the Democrats.
@Donal Casey: That is an awful reason to vote against it.
@Donal Casey: that makes it even worse, rather then voting because of personal conviction or representing his constituents it’s because the bill came from the opposition regardless of how good it was….!
@Donal Casey: the same nonsense happens here too with bills here being voted down by FF and FG just cause they are raised by SF regardless of being sensible
@Diarmuid Hunt: terrible reason. Oh I agree with marriage (whether the couple are gay or not) but just cos the other guys proposed it im voting against it.
@Donal Casey: him voting against it was a Republican political stunt. That’s how US politics works. Republics oppose anything by the democrats and vice versa. Hence why nothing ever gets done and the people always lose out.
@Jason Walsh: “voted down by FF and FG just cause they are raised by SF”
1. Like what? Do you have any actual examples? 2. Can you actually prove they were voted against purely out of pig-headedness?
Your remarks are so vague they amount only to a feeble handwaving.
The majority of the modern republican party are grifters that believe in nothing, but exploiting the religious beliefs of a gullible base for their own political gain, and this is another example of it.
I think he is a fantastic dad to attend his son’s wedding even though his beliefs are different to his son. If that is his beliefs then he needs to be respected. I know several gay people who voted no to gay marriage in Ireland when we had our vote. I personally voted yes but this does not divine me as a person nor should it devine the father in the article.
@Sean: He’s a terrible father for voting against his sons rights. He’s a terrible father for treating his son as less than. Showing up isn’t enough. Treating his son with equal respect and dignity is a low bar and he failed to meet it.
@Ailbhe: how you see it that way is beyond belief. But i respect your view as you should the dad who we speaking about. Respect must be both ways and going to the wedding is respecting his son, but they are 2 different people with 2 different views.
@Ailbhe: Should politicians represent the views, wants and needs of the people that elect them into public office, or their own personal or family agenda?
Because if it’s the latter, then wouldn’t we also have to accept them voting or legislating to benefit themselves and their families financial interests too?
Something like….
Why did you decide to support the bill that would award the multimillion $/€ contract to your sons business? Well it’s really because I’m just a great dad! My son set up this business and he really needs his business to gain recognition, so I said, why not?
@Sean: he’s a joke, a small small man that can stand up for his own child’s rights
Who gives a monkeys
The hypocrisy
It would be fascinating to know if the son considered disinviting the treacherous father from his same-sex wedding. It would at least have crossed my mind in the same circumstances, whatever my ultimate decision was.
If that was my father I would disown him.
One day this will be a Hollywood movie…
I personally voted for same sex marriage in our own referendum, but this an interesting, multifaceted and nuanced political dilemma, not just the simplistic question or contradiction that the article and many comments are trying to make it.
Politicians everywhere usually vote along party lines, that’s the reality.
But in this case, should he have vote in accordance with the views of the people that elected him and the party that he represents, or based on his own son’s circumstances?
We often rightly accuse our own politicians of forgetting that they represent the people that voted for them, or for prioritising their own or corporate agendas ahead of the will or needs of the people, so how would FFFG voters react if their TD’S supported Sinn Fein motions on issues?
I don’t know the man not have I heard what he had to say on this matter, but could it be possible that the dad supports same sex marriage but voted against it being mandated federally across the whole of the US and is if the belief that voters and/or legislators in each individual state should decide it for themselves? I see this scenario for Roe vs Wade too. Appreciate that access to both of these may be seen as basic human rights by many but surely it is best for each state to decide as that is how democracy works? I personally don’t want the EU making laws for me if at all possible, best to let the Irish Govt make these decisions and pay for the wrong ones at the ballot box.
He and his son obviously disagree on many things. That is their right. However, his statement to the press makes his love for his son, his respect for his choices, and his hopes for his future happiness crystal clear.
Check him out on YouTube absolutely slating a female cop. He’s some piece of work !!!!
It’s really hard to believe that America has a total phony Republican politician
I imagine he had to vote the parties policy regardless of what his own views are
have your say