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Tom Emmer

U.S. Representative from Minnesota

Former Chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee

Updated: October 24, 2023

—Voted in favor of the Respect for Marriage Act which repeals the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act and ensures that legally married same-sex and interracial couples are entitled to the same protections and recognition from the federal government as all other married couples. Emmer was among 47 Republican Representatives who voted in favor of the Act, and was the only Republican in Minnesota’s delegation to vote in favor.

—Supported a state constitutional amendment banning civil recognition of same-sex marriage or its legal equivalent, stating, “I believe marriage is the union between one man and one woman.”

—Introduced HF 1847, a proposed amendment to the Minnesota Constitution “recognizing as marriage or its legal equivalent only a union between one man and one woman.” Minnesota voters rejected this proposal.

—As a candidate for governor in 2010, received the backing of the National Organization for Marriage for his opposition to same-sex marriage.

The GLAAD Accountability Project catalogs anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and discriminatory actions of politicians, commentators, organization heads, religious leaders, and legal figures, who have used their platforms, influence and power to spread misinformation and harm LGBTQ people.