MSNBC anchor Thomas Roberts has said that several Republican Party
officials congratulated him on his marriage to another man.
Roberts, one
of three openly gay MSNBC television personalities, and Patrick
Abner married last fall in New York.
(Related: MSNBC's
Thomas Robers, Patrick Abner marry in New York.)
Appearing Friday on MSNBC's Morning Joe, Roberts said that
despite the GOP's official stance opposing gay marriage, RNC leaders
congratulated him.
“[RNC Chairman] Reince Priebus, when I got engaged [in 2011],
congratulated me at the White House Correspondents weekend,”
Roberts said. “Last year, [RNC Communications Director] Sean
Spicer congratulated me on getting married to my husband. Yet they
incorporated into the platform of the RNC their stance against
marriage equality.”
Roberts called the personal remarks “odd”: “Why congratulate
me? I didn't bring it up. I didn't say, 'Give me congratulations.'
But they offered it.”
Spicer responded in a statement given to POLITICO.com: “Believing
marriage is between one man and one woman and being polite, courteous
and respectful are not mutually exclusive.”