Sen. Thom Tillis Censured by GOP For Backing LGBTQ Rights
metroweekly.comA sitting U.S. senator has been censured by his own party for supporting a pro-marriage equality bill.Delegates of the North Carolina Republican Party voted overwhelmingly, by a 799-361 margin, to reprimand U.S.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), for voting in favor of the Respect for Marriage Act. The law, which was signed into effect by President Biden last year, ensures same-sex marriages that have been performed in states where the practice is not expressly prohibited will continue to be treated as valid by the federal government — even if the U.S.
Supreme Court reverses its own precedent and overturns its 2015 ruling legalizing marriage equality nationwide. At the time, Tillis described the bill as “a good compromise that provides permanent certainty for same-sex couples while ensuring robust protections for churches and religious organizations.”The move to censure Tillis was also motivated by the senator’s vote in favor of a bill providing funding for states to pass “red flag” laws making it easier to remove weapons from people deemed a threat to themselves or others, restricting people convicted of domestic abuse from accessing guns, and expanding background checks on gun-buyers under 21.The vote occurred behind closed doors on June 10, during the state GOP’s annual convention, which featured speeches by various Republican presidential candidates, including former President Donald Trump, former Vice President Pence, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. “We need people who are unwavering in their support for conservative ideals,” Jim Forster, an 81-year-old Republican delegate, told the Associated Press. “[Senator Tillis’] recent actions don’t reflect the party’s shift to the right — in fact, they’re moving in the exact.
