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Newly-minted House Speaker Mike Johnson was mere minutes from ascending to the coveted position before he was trolled by one of his Democratic colleagues—who used her vote to wish her wife a happy wedding anniversary in defiance of Johnson's virulently anti-LGBTQ+ record.
Despite Johnson's election through a party-line vote of 220 to 209, the Democrats opted to nominate House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries for Speaker, prompting out Minnesota Representative Angie Craig to stick the knife in a little bit.
When called upon to express her choice, she seized the moment to not only endorse Jeffries for the top position but also to acknowledge an important individual in her life on the occasion of their 15th wedding anniversary: her wife, Cheryl Greene.
She enthusiastically declared "Happy wedding anniversary to my wife" just before she cast her vote in favor of Jeffries, receiving a standing ovation.
She also posted the video of the moment to X, formerly Twitter, with the following message:
"Mike Johnson spent his legal career fighting against same-sex marriage, adoption and marital benefits. Now he’s brought that fight to Congress."
"Proud to vote against him on my 15th anniversary with my wife, Cheryl."
"[Johnson], enjoy it while it lasts — it won't be long."
You can watch the moment in the video below.
Many praised her for speaking out.
Earlier in the day Craig had posted a photographic tribute to her wife, emphasizing her gratitude for sharing life's journey with her.
Johnson has come under scrutiny for his historical use of strong anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric.
Johnson authored several editorials that were published in his local newspaper, The Times, of Shreveport, Louisiana. In these writings, he characterized homosexuality as an "inherently unnatural" and "dangerous lifestyle," expressing concerns that it might lead to the legalization of pedophilia and even pose a threat to the democratic system as a whole.
In one of these controversial editorials, he said "homosexuality and cross-dressing are things you do" and emphasized that although the country allows freedom of choice, it does not necessarily grant special protections for what he referred to as "bizarre choices."
At the time, Johnson served as an attorney and spokesperson for the Alliance Defense Fund, which is known today as Alliance Defending Freedom. He also authored his opposition to the Supreme Court's ruling in Lawrence v. Texas, a landmark case that invalidated state laws criminalizing consensual homosexual activity among adults.