US Rep. Chris Pappas of New Hampshire and his fiancé Vann Bentley recently announced they’ve officially tied the knot.
Reelected in 2022, Pappas became the first openly gay person to represent the Granite State in Congress in 2018 and serves as cochair of the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus. He and Bentley announced their engagement on Dec. 19, 2021.
“Vann and I are excited to share that we’re married!” Pappas Tweeted on Feb. 20, 2023. “We feel so fortunate to have found each other and to be building our life together, and we’re grateful for the love and support of family and friends.”
Notes the Advocate:
Pappas has been a vocal supporter for LGBTQ+ rights while he’s been in office. The lawmaker is the first out gay man to represent New Hampshire in Congress. He championed the Respect for Marriage Act which was signed into law late last year.
“The signing of this legislation is a landmark moment not just for the LGBTQ+ community, but for all Americans, because its enactment brings us one step closer to our country’s founding promise of guaranteeing liberty and justice for all,” Pappas said at the time.
He added that the law was needed after U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’sconcurring opinion in the decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, in which Thomas said that the high court should revisit other cases such as the decision that ruled in favor of marriage equality.
“The Obergefell decision extended marriage equality to all fifty states and the idea it could be overturned is unthinkable,” Pappas said. “But we know there are justices on the Supreme Court who want to reconsider that decision, and others that have protected rights rooted in the right to privacy, so the enactment of this legislation is critically important to ensure that no matter what the court does no family will have to worry the federal government will no longer recognize their union.”
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