How Biden Opposed Gay Rights For 50 YEARS After His High School ‘Epiphany’ When He Saw Two Men Kissing: Said Gay People Were A ‘Safety Risk’ In 1973 And Voted Against Marriage Between people of the same sex
- In 1996, then-Sen. Biden (D-Delaware) voted in favor of the Defense of Marriage Act, seen by many as a major setback for the gay rights movement.
- In 2006, Biden declared marriage ‘between a man and a woman’
- In 2012, then-Vice President Biden reversed course, telling ‘Meet the Press’ that he supported same-sex marriage.
President Joe Biden is credited with pushing President Barack Obama to move on gay marriage in 2012, but he said gay people were a “security risk” 50 years ago and previously voted against marriage between people of the same age. same sex.
This week, Biden sat down with The Daily Show guest host Kal Penn, an actor who recently came out as gay and a former member of Obama’s White House staff. The president suggested that his “epiphany” about gay rights came from high school.
“I can remember exactly where my epiphany was,” Biden said before recalling how he was a senior in high school and saw two men kiss as his father left him. And i will never forget. I turned and looked at my dad, and he said, ‘Joey, it’s simple. They love each other. It’s simple.”
And it never has, never has, it’s that simple, it doesn’t matter if it’s a same-sex or straight couple, you should be able to get married. So what is the problem?’ Biden pondered.
In 2012, then-Vice President Biden told ‘Meet the Press’ that he supported same-sex marriage. His off-the-cuff response surprised President Barack Obama.
But in 1973, In Wilmington’s The Morning News, Biden was not entirely on board with gay rights.
“My knee-jerk reaction,” Biden, 30, told gay rights activist Robert Vane at a Delaware civic association meeting, “is that they (gays) are security risks, but I have to admit I haven’t thought much about it.” .. Damn me!
Over the years, then-Sen. Joe Biden was not always an advocate for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community.
1993: Then-Senator Biden voted for “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” a policy that required gay servicemen to remain in the closet.
1994: Biden was with a majority of senators who voted to cut funding to schools that supported the belief that homosexuality is an acceptable way of life. Mediaite reported.
1996: Biden also voted for the Defense of Marriage Act, another controversial bill signed by Clinton that prohibited extending federal benefits to same-sex couples living in states where gay marriage had been approved.
2006: Biden commented on the Senate floor when discussing a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage: “Why do we need a constitutional amendment? Marriage is between a man and a woman. What’s going on here?” he said. Biden.
2008: During the vice presidential debates, Biden was asked if he supported gay marriage. ‘No,’ Biden said. ‘Barack Obama and I support a civil redefinition of what constitutes marriage. We don’t support that.’
But in 2012, there was a seismic shift in the LGBTQ+ community’s acceptance of Biden. During an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press” as vice president, the highest-ranking Democrat made an off-the-cuff comment in support of same-sex marriage, much to the shock of the White House and Obama.