Former Vice President Joe Biden recalls the first time he saw two men kissing in 1961

Joe Biden Shares the First Time He Saw Two Men Kissing — And His Father's Surprising Reaction

Joe Biden was vice president in 2015 when the United States Supreme Court made its landmark decision to legalize same-sex marriage in all 50 states. But the Delaware Democrat, 75, still vividly remembers a time when homosexuality was all-too-taboo in this country — and how surprised he was in 1961 when he saw two men kiss for the first time.

In a new interview with the feminist media brand, MAKERS, Biden recalls applying for a job as a lifeguard when he was a teenager in 1961.

Get push notifications with news, features and more.

“My dad [Joseph Biden Sr.] dropped me off at the town square. And there were two men in suits standing on the corner and the light was red and they kissed as I was getting out of the car,” Biden says.

What his father said next Biden will never forget.

“I looked back at my dad because I hadn’t seen that before and he said, ‘It’s simple Joe. They love each other.’ ”

RELATED VIDEO: Joe Biden Surprised with Medal of Freedom

Biden also recalls how his father helped inspire the former vice president’s continued efforts to end violence against women and sexual assault on college campuses through the Biden Foundation and his It’s On Us campaign.

“My father said the cardinal sin of all sins is for a man to raise a hand to a woman,” Biden said. “He taught us that if we saw something speak up, speak out. Do something. As long as there’s a breath in me, I’m going to be engaged in this issue.”