Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Pete Buttigieg's Viral Reaction To The Debate About The Respect For Marriage Act Speaks Volumes

Pete Buttigieg
Brad Barket/Getty Images for The New Yorker

The openly-gay Secretary of Transportation fired off a relatable tweet as the Senate debated whether or not to codify same-sex marriage protections.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg posted a relatable tweet as the Senate debated whether or not to codify protections for his marriage.

Ultimately, the Respect for Marriage Act (RMA) received bipartisan support and passed the Senate, in a 61-36 vote, with 12 Republicans joining Democrats to vote for it. Three Senators did not vote.


The bill now goes to the House of Representatives, where it is expected to pass before it can go to Democratic President Joe Biden to sign into law.

As the openly-gay Buttigieg—who is married to educator and activist Chasten Buttigieg—watched the Senate debate the legislation, he commented on the strangeness of seeing "something as basic and as personal as the durability of your marriage come up for debate on the Senate floor."

You can see his tweet below.

Buttigieg added he was "hopeful" the Senate would act to "protect millions of families, including ours," expressing his appreciation for "all that has gone into preparing this important legislation to move forward."

Concerns about the future of marriage equality have taken on fresh urgency in the months since the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 landmark decision that once protected a person's right to choose reproductive healthcare without excessive government restriction.

The decision on Roe, which hinged on a right to privacy that while not explicitly granted in the United States Constitution was nonetheless accepted per the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment (which grants all citizens “equal protection of the laws"), suggested other Supreme Court rulings, such as those regarding contraception, same-sex and interracial marriage, are now in doubt.

Associate Justice Clarence Thomas suggested in a solo concurring opinion that established gay rights (Lawrence v. Texas and Obergefell v. Hodges) and contraception rights (Griswold v. Connecticut) should be reconsidered now that the federal right to reproductive freedom has been revoked, calling them "demonstrably erroneous" and calling on the Court to "correct the error."

Buttigieg's tweet struck a chord with many who expressed gratitude for the bill's passage but vented their frustrations with years of GOP objections to marriage equality and reproductive rights.




While RMA does include some exemptions for religious nonprofits and conscience protections under the Constitution—a feature that's prompted some LGBTQ+ rights advocates to say that the bill doesn't go far enough—several Republicans, including Florida Senator Marco Rubio, tried but failed to add additional amendments expanding religious freedom exemptions.

Over the summer, in the days following the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs, Buttigieg criticized Rubio for claiming that a marriage equality bill is a "stupid waste of time."

At the time, Buttigieg said that if Rubio has "got time to fight against Disney, I don’t know why he wouldn’t have time to help safeguard marriages like mine," referring to Rubio's public criticisms of the Disney Corporation for speaking out against Florida's controversial "Don't Say Gay" law.

More from Trending

Kid Rock
Todd Kirkland/Getty Images

Kid Rock Dragged After Donning A Truly Over-The-Top Outfit For His White House Visit

Singer Kid Rock was slammed for wearing a loud patriotic costume inside the Oval Office as Republican President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday against ticket scalping.

The rocker's outfit consisted of a red, white, and blue jacket emblazoned with two eagles facing each other above the American flag with the number 250, a nod to America's upcoming 250th anniversary, and white stars on his sleeves.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Bill Cassidy
CNBC

MAGA Senator Just Said The Quiet Part Out Loud With Epic Freudian Slip About Medicare

Louisiana Republican Senator Bill Cassidy was widely mocked following his inconvenient slip of the tongue during a CNBC interview as he mused about finding ways to "cut" Medicare before quickly correcting himself.

The exchange occurred after host Rebecca Quick pressed Louisiana Republican and former physician Bill Cassidy on how his party intended to fund the “trillion-dollar tax cuts” sought by President Donald Trump.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Tim Sheehy
CNN

GOP Senator Gets Blunt Reality Check After Comparing Trump Tariff 'Pain' To Home Renovation

Montana Republican Senator Tim Sheehy was criticized after he tried to compare the "short-term pain" of President Donald Trump's tariffs to home renovation, a claim so ridiculous that CNN's Kaitlan Collins quickly pushed back on the analogy.

Trump has repeatedly referred to April 2 as “Liberation Day,” pledging to impose tariffs—taxes on imports—to reduce U.S. reliance on foreign goods. He has framed these tariffs as “reciprocal,” aiming to match the duties other nations place on American exports.

Keep ReadingShow less
Susan Crawford; Elon Musk
Scott Olson/Getty Images (left and right)

Liberal Wisconsin Judge Calls Out Elon Musk In Victory Speech—And It's Everything

Liberal judge Susan Crawford called out billionaire Elon Musk in her victory speech after winning a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, basking in successfully beating her Republican opponent Brad Schimel and ensuring that the nonpartisan court’s narrow 4-3 liberal majority remains intact despite Musk's efforts to sway the race.

Musk fueled the high-stakes race, having poured more than $20 million into supporting Schimel, according to state campaign records. That includes $3 million to the state Republican Party—$2 million of which was donated just last week. Due to state election laws, large contributions must be funneled through political parties before reaching candidates.

Keep ReadingShow less

People Describe The Worst 'Bonus' They've Ever Gotten At Work

Most of us have worked at one problematic workplace, with reasons ranging from toxic coworkers to terrible bosses to unlivable pay. Sometimes, it feels like a joke that the employees are even being paid at all!

But the biggest joke of all might be the end-of-year bonus, or lack thereof. They're at times so laughable, they take the cake for horrible work conditions, or are quite literally, a slice of cake.

Keep ReadingShow less