Queer Quote: Gov. Christie (R-NJ) Denounces DOMA Ruling

Chris Christie is the Republican governor of the very blue state of New Jersey. He is generally considered too moderate for most members of his party but it should not be forgotten how regressive he is on the issue of marriage equality. In 2012, he vetoed a marriage equality bill passed by the state legislature, insisting that the rights of same-sex couples to get married should be subject to a vote of the people of New Jersey.

So, his negative response to this week's landmark Supreme Court ruling striking down Section 3 of the federal Defense of Marraige Act in United States v. Windsor is today's Queer Quote:

“I don’t think the ruling was appropriate. I think it was wrong. They, the Court, without a basis in standing, substituted their own judgment for the judgment of a Republican Congress and a Democratic President. In the Republican Congress in the ‘90s and Bill Clinton. I thought that Justice Kennedy’s opinion was, in many respects, incredibly insulting to those people, 340-some members of Congress who voted for the Defense of Marriage Act, and Bill Clinton. He basically said that the only reason to pass that bill was to demean people. That’s heck of a thing to say about Bill Clinton and about the Republican Congress back in the ‘90s. And it’s just another example of judicial supremacy, rather than having the government run by the people we actually vote for. So I thought it was a bad decision."

I guess he didn't hear that President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issued a rare joint statement supporting DOMA's demise:

By overturning the Defense of Marriage Act, the Court recognized that discrimination towards any group holds us all back in our efforts to form a more perfect union. We are also encouraged that marriage equality may soon return to California. We applaud the hard work of the advocates who have fought so relentlessly for this day, and congratulate Edie Windsor on her historic victory.

Hillary Clinton and Chris Christie are widely considered the frontrunners to be opponents in the 2016 presidential election. In New Jersey, more than 60 percent of voters support marriage equality right now. Does Gov. Christie really believe that in 2016 more Americans will support his regressive position denying rights and benefits to legally married same-sex couples than now?

Good luck with that!

Hat/tip to TowleRoad