Tessa Bitterman has reason to dislike New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. After all, her mom, Barbara Buono, is Christie’s Democratic opponent in his bid for re-election. But Bitterman has another reason to slam Christie: as a lesbian, she slams the governor for opposing marriage equality.
In an email to her mother’s supporters, Bitterman calls Christie “a giant roadblock to New Jersey achieving equality for all.” (And shame on us for reading more into “giant” because of Christie’s girth.) Just to remind us he really is a Republican, Christie vetoed a marriage equality bill last year, saying he didn’t think “121 people in Trenton” (aka democratically elected representatives of the people) should decide on marriage equality. Instead, he wants the issue put to the voters. Democrats reject the idea of a ballot measure and have promised to override Christie’s veto, though they lack the votes to do so.
In the meantime, Christie has another opportunity to show just where he stands on LGBT issues. The state assembly has passed a measure that would ban “gay cure” therapy for minors. A state senate committee approved the measure in April, and the full senate is likely to take up the bill later this week. Christie has said he opposed the therapy, but hasn’t indicated whether he will sign the bill if it passes. Apparently, the governor believes words speak louder than actions.