Joe Biden Recalls the First Time He Saw a Gay Couple — and the 'Simple' Way His Dad Explained Their Love
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Joe Biden is making his first appearance on The Daily Show since taking office as the president of the United States — and weighing in on attacks against LGBTQ+ Americans — sitting down with actor and former Obama administration staffer Kal Penn for a segment airing Monday night.
In a preview of the White House interview released Monday morning, guest host Penn — who is engaged to his longtime boyfriend — asks President Biden how he came to be a vocal supporter of marriage equality.
"I can remember exactly when my epiphany was," Biden responds in the clip. "I hadn't thought much about it, to tell you the truth. I was a senior in high school and my dad was dropping me off ... [I was] about to get out of the car and I look to my right, and two well-dressed men in suits kissed each other."
The president continues: "I turned and looked at my dad, and he said, 'Joey, it's simple, they love each other.' ... It's just that simple. It doesn't matter whether it's same-sex or a heterosexual couple, you should be able to be married. What is the problem?"
Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty President Biden holds a ceremony to sign the Respect for Marriage Act
Biden made history as the vice president in 2012 when he announced his support of same-sex marriage before the Obama administration had a chance to sign off, becoming one of the most prominent politicians to stand for LGBTQ+ rights at the time and beating President Barack Obama to the punch.
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Same-sex marriage was later legalized nationwide, in 2015, thanks to the Supreme Court's landmark ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges — but at least one current justice on the far-right Supreme Court has recently suggested reassessing the decision, creating fear that many LGBTQ+ people could lose their hard-won rights.
This past December, Biden doubled down on his support of marriage equality and reinforced protections for LGBTQ+ couples by signing the Respect for Marriage Act into law, which guarantees that the federal government will continue to recognize same-sex marriages even if Obergefell were overturned down the line.
President Biden's full interview with guest host Kal Penn airs Monday on Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11 p.m. ET/PT.
