Rep. Blumenauer: Voting for DOMA Was "Worst Vote of My Political Career." Help Repeal It!

In a honest piece on the Huffington Post, Oregon U.S. Representative Earl Blumenauer wrote, "On July 12, 1996, I cast the worst vote of my political career. Having served in public office since 1973, that says something. While I've made other mistakes, this was different: it was a deliberate vote that I knew to be poor public policy and was against my values."

Reading it was heart-wrenching. In what can only be described as "confessional," Blumenauer admits to sacrificing the "civil rights and identity" of LGBT people nationwide in an effort to move past the miasma of the Gingrich-Daley Congress of the time.

Blumenauer is determined to right his wrongs and will not only vote for the DOMA repeal 'Respect for Marriage Act', but he will also work to get his colleagues to do the same.

You can help Blumenauer in a variety of ways.

Go to Change.org and sign a letter sponsored by the Human Rights Campaign that will go to your representative, urging them to support the Respect for Marriage Act.

You can also reach your representative through the Courage Campaign.

Tell Blumenauer thank you through Twitter. Michael Jones as Change.org suggests, ". . . feel free to send him a message on Twitter - @RepBlumenauer. Might we suggest, "@RepBlumenauer thanks for switching your position on the Defense of Marriage Act and working to end discrimination."