It took the Republican-controlled Senate an embarrassing eight months to confirm Eric Fanning as the first openly gay Secretary of the Army last week.

In a press conference after being sworn in, Fanning thanked his partner, Ben Masri-Cohen, for his patience and understanding during the "confusing" process.

That's a diplomatic way of putting it.

“It has been a long process to get here,” Fanning, 47, said. “But it's worth it. This is a tremendous honor for me."

“It's a confusing process that makes you feel vulnerable and out there alone," added Fanning. "So I thank all of you for all that you have done these many months to help me get confirmed. And Ben, your patience at home, because I know there were days that I probably was not the most pleasant person to be around.”

Republican Senator Pat Roberts was largely responsible for blocking Fanning's confirmation for a whopping 242 days, claiming he opposed the Obama administration’s attempts to close Guantanamo Bay.

Roberts released his hold after being guarantee it was too late for the president to have detainees moved from the prison.

Fanning joked about the situation in a tweet that referenced Beyonce's Lemonade.

Dontcha just love that we live in a time when the Secretary of the Army is part of the Beyhive?