The resignation of Speaker of the US House of Representatives John Boehner on Friday (25 September) is not a loss for the LGBTI community.

The longtime Republican lawmaker has a long and consistent voting record against equality for gays. lesbians, bisexual and transgender people.

During his 25 years on Congress, he voted to constitutionally define marriage as one-man-one-woman, twice voted for a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, and voted against prohibiting job discrimination based on sexual orientation, according to OnTheIssues.org.

Boehner also voted against the successful repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell in 2010, a policy which had prevented gays and lesbians from serving openly in the US military.

‘I oppose any legislation that would provide special rights for homosexuals,’ Boehner once wrote in a letter to the Human Rights Campaign.

In 2011, President Barack Obama announced that his administration would no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in court so Boehner and House Republicans stepped in to argue for the law at the cost of millions of dollars.

Key provisions of DOMA, which had banned the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages, were gutted by the US Supreme Court in June 2013.

Two years later, when the US Supreme Court voted 5-4 to make same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states, Boehner expressed his disappointment.

‘All human beings are created equal by God and thus deserve to be treated with love, dignity and respect,’ he said in a statement then. ‘I am, however, disappointed that the Supreme Court disregarded the democratically-enacted will of millions of Americans by forcing states to redefine the institution of marriage.

‘My views are based on my upbringing and my faith. I believe that marriage is a sacred vow between one man and one woman, and I believe Americans should be able to live and work according to their beliefs.’

As speaker, Boehner proved to be the main stumbling block in recent year in scheduling a vote in the House on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), a Senate-passed bill providing workplace protections for workers based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

In November 2014, Boehner voiced his belief that ENDA was ‘unnecessary.’

‘I am opposed to discrimination of any kind in the workplace or anyplace else, but I think this legislation is unnecessary and would provide a basis for frivolous lawsuits,’ he said in a press conference that month. ‘People are already protected in the workplace.’