Mike Pence’s Seven Most Vicious Homophobic Moments (There’s A Lot To Choose From)

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence is a darling of the religious right, and with good reason. Over the course of his political career, he has been a crusader (in his white-bread way) for the right’s pet causes. Chief among these, of course, is stopping the “homosexual agenda.”

While Pence is best known for his bumbling attempt to rebrand antigay bigotry as religious liberty last year, that was hardly his first foray into the fields of homophobia. In fact, both as governor and as a Congressman, Pence took the lead in attacking legal equality. He is far and away the most antigay candidate to run on a national GOP ticket, which is saying a lot.

As he accepts the Republican nomination, here’s a roundup of some of his choicest moments. Unfortunately, there’s no shortage of them…

1. Supporting a constitutional amendment to ban marriage equality

In 2006, then-Rep. Pence told 100 of his fellow Republicans that he supported a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex weddings. Or as Pence put it, supported “God’s plan” in the face of the destruction of civilization. “Societal collapse was always brought about following an advent of the deterioration of marriage and family,” Pence complained.

2. Signed a bill to jail same-sex couples for applying for a marriage license

In an effort to make a bad idea even worse, as governor Pence signed a bill in 2013 that would jail same-sex couples in Indiana who applied for a marriage license. To prove that he wasn’t singling gay people out, Pence was also willing to jail marriage clerks who supplied a license or clergy who performed the wedding.

3. Wanted to divert funding from HIV prevention to conversion therapy

This one’s a two-fer: as a Congressional candidate in 2000, Pence wrapped two awful ideas into a single dreadful proposal. He wanted to ensure that “federal dollars were no longer being given to organizations that celebrate and encourage the types of behaviors that facilitate the spreading of the HIV virus.” So where should the money go? “Resources should be directed toward those institutions which provide assistance to those seeking to change their sexual behavior.” In other words, conversion therapy.

4. Opposed repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell

Longing for the good old days of complete invisibility for gay people, Pence predictably ignored the preponderance of evidence in support of repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Instead, Pence put himself out there as a leading opponent of the policy change. “There’s no question to mainstream homosexuality within active duty military would have an impact on unit cohesion,” Pence argued, dismissing the repeal as “some liberal domestic social agenda.”

5. Complained about the passage of the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes bill

In Pence’s ideal world, there would be zero protections. So it’s no surprise that he groused when the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes bill was signed into law in 2009. Pence didn’t cite legal objections. Instead, he complained that it advanced a “radical social agenda” and would have “a chilling effect on religious expression, from the pulpits, in our temples, in our mosques and in our churches.”

6. Served on the board of an antigay group

Pence has had a close relationship with the antigay leadership in his state. He served on the board of the Indiana Family Institute, an affiliate of Focus on the Family, which has been in the forefront of attacks on LGBT rights in the state, including a state constitutional amendment banning marriage equality. Thanks to its connections to Pence and other Republicans, IFI has been the recipient of funding for the state’s “Health Marriage” program. The former head of IFI has served as an aide to Pence both in Congress and the state house and as a campaign consultant.

7. Argued that passing ENDA would ban Bibles from the workplace

Of course, in Congress Pence voted against federal workplace protections. What was unique was his reasoning, which was that ENDA would discriminate against Christians. To comply with the law, Pence claimed, “the employer has to ban employees from having a Bible at the workplace for their break time, or displaying Bible verses.” Foreshadowing the Indiana religious liberty law, he went on: “We must stand for the right of every American to practice their faith according to the dictates of their conscience, whether it be in the public square or in the workplace.”

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/Ka4BjkoFUy0/mike-pences-seven-viscously-homophobic-moments-theres-lot-choose-20160720

Ben Carson Has Some Thoughts About Being Transgender; Brace For Impact

We’re sure Ben Carson went to medical school? Because he really does not seem to understand how human bodies work. (As you’ll recall, this is the same guy who said that gay marriage leads to polygamy, as if straights have not been employing serial sexual escapades since time began.)

“For thousands of years, mankind has known what a man is and what a woman is,” he drowsily droned to yet another group of rotten Republicans. “And now all of a sudden we don’t know anymore. Now, is that the height of absurdity? Because today you feel like a woman, even though everything about you genetically says that you’re a man or vice versa?”

Ugh, God, stop it stop it stop it stop it. First of all, “mankind,” blerg; at this point, using that word is just a deliberate middle-finger, and signal that yes, more inclusive words exist and no I’m refusing to use them.

But on to the substance of his argument: for thousands of years, humanity has understood that gender is a fluid, nonbinary thing. It is not hard to Google for examples of cultures all over the world that have blurred the lines between male and female over the last thousands years. But apparently Ben just believes that whatever he learned what he was a child always has been true and always will be.

Oh, but it gets worse:

Wouldn’t that be the same as if you woke up tomorrow morning after seeing a movie about Afghanistan or reading some books and said, “You know what? I’m Afghanistan. I know I don’t look that way. My ancestors came from Sweden, or something, I don’t know. But I really am. And if you say I’m not, (then) you’re racist.”

No, Ben. You have fundamentally misunderstood, well, everything. Trans people do not see a movie and then decide the next day that they are trans. Just stop this “woke up tomorrow morning” garbage.

But there’s actually something ever-so-slightly (and accidentally) correct about his analogy. Changing your nationality is something that people can, in fact, do. If you move to a different country, and learn a whole new set of customs and behaviors, and learn about yourself, and fill out a ton of paperwork, and do a lot of soul-searching and difficult decision-making, and have a lot of conversations, then yes you can in fact become naturalized as a citizen of another country. So, yeah, that can change.

It’s not a perfect analogy — trans people generally consider themselves to have been trans their whole lives, and for their transition to have affirmed the gender that they always were. But this is a nuance probably much too deep for Ben Carson.

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/qBsw3rF3alo/ben-carson-thoughts-transgender-brace-impact-20160720

Orlando Pulse Protester Confronts Marco Rubio: ‘You Have Blood On Your Hands’

A gay man confronted Marco Rubio at an event near the Pulse LGBT nightclub in Orlando as the Florida Senator attended an event to assist business traffic in the area following the mass shooting, the Orlando Sentinel reports:

“I’m really angry at you,” Moran said. “I don’t feel you’re doing anything to support the LGBTQ people. I need to know what is your relationship is with the NRA. Why are you talking with transphobes and homophobes like John Stemberger… all of you have blood on your hands,” Moran said.

Rubio responded, “I disagree with your assessment… Homophobia means you’re scared of people, I’m not scared of people. Quite frankly I respect all people. We probably have a disagreement on the definition of marriage.”

Moran interrupted again, “Your policies kill people. Your policies enable people to be murdered. You have to protect us. You’re not protecting us. We’re going to be gunned down.”

RELATED: Columnist Claims This Might Be a Photo of Marco Rubio at a Gay Miami Foam Party in the ’90s

The paper also reported that Rubio was often drowned out by a crowd of several dozen protesters who had gathered outside the event to demonstrate against Rubio’s inaction on gun control.

Watch video of the Rubio confrontation HERE.

Picketers gather at South Orange business to protest Marco Rubio comments on #PulseShooting aftermath pic.twitter.com/zOEXOBtESc

— Paul Brinkmann (@PaulBrinkmann) July 19, 2016

The post Orlando Pulse Protester Confronts Marco Rubio: ‘You Have Blood On Your Hands’ appeared first on Towleroad.

feeds.towleroad.com/~r/towleroad/feed/~3/wNVs8q0TNhU/

There Was a ‘Gays for Trump’ Party at the RNC and It Was Absolutely Insane – VIDEOS, PHOTOS

The second night of the Republican National Convention saw a “Gays for Trump” rally that showcased a series of militant, xenophobic, anti-Islamic speakers who argued that the Republican party is the real friend of the LGBT community.

The event took place in a ballroom lined with images of scantily clad white twinks in “Make America Great Again” hats.

The wall art here is white… white: pic.twitter.com/RVdCxMSZjB

— Carlos Maza (@gaywonk) July 20, 2016

The title of the event was “WAKE UP” and billed as “The most fab party at the RNC.”

Photo via Carlos Maza/Twitter

The event’s headliners were notorious homocon and Breitbart writer Milo Yiannopoulos and anti-Islam ‘activist’ Pam Geller.

Yiannopoulos appeared at the event after having just been permanently banned from Twitter for harassing SNL and Ghostbusters star Leslie Jones with racist tweets.

At LGBT for Trump party, Milo says he got banned from Twitter for fighting with “tertiary star of a fucking terrible feminist flop”

— Luke Brinker (@LukeBrinker) July 20, 2016

When Yiannopoulos took the podium, he appeared wearing a bullet-proof vest which he quickly removed. He went on to rail against Islam and at one point declared,  “Growing up gay wasn’t that f**king bad.”

The Washington Blade reports: 

Wearing a white tank top with the image of a gun in rainbow colors and the words “We Shoot Back,” Yiannopoulos said the time has come for the LGBT community to separate itself from the progressive movement to take on Islamic extremism.

In the aftermath of a shooting in Orlando at a gay nightclub by a follower of Islamic extremism, Yiannopoulos said while the left once supported gay people, that’s “no longer the case.”

“Growing up gay wasn’t that f[**]king bad, let’s be honest,” Yiannopoulos said. “But I still don’t see the reason why the left-wing press mollycoddles and panders to an ideology that wants me dead.”

Yiannopoulos announced at the event he would travel to Sweden next week to lead a Pride parade in what he called a “Muslim ghetto” in Stockholm. Yiannopoulos said he draws no distinction between Islam as a whole and Islamic extremism, although he acknowledged some in the audience may disagree with him.

RELATED: ‘Gays for Trump’ Homocon Milo Yiannopoulos Banned Permanently from Twitter for Racist Tweets at Leslie Jones

Yiannopoulos also said Trump is “the most pro-gay candidate in American electoral history.”

Denouncing the Democratic Party, Yiannopoulos added,

“You have done nothing for gays. While you were busy hectoring and bullying and nannying us about transgender pronouns, you completely forgot that politicians in this country, Democrat[ic] politicians who are welcoming in a religion that wants us dead. They were welcoming in movements and belief systems that are completely incompatible with the Western way of life, with modern, Western, capitalist, liberal democracies, the only systems under which gay people are happy and successful and have rights.”

When noted Islamophobe Pamela Geller (who created the infamous “Draw Mohammed” contest in Texas last year) took the mic, she decided to start with a joke. Said Geller: “A jihadi walks into a gay bar, and the bartender says, ‘What’ll you have?’ The jihadi says, ‘Shots for everyone!’”

FIRST JOKE: “A jihadi walks into a gay bar. Bartender asks what he wants. He says ‘shots for everyone.'”

— Carlos Maza (@gaywonk) July 20, 2016

Geller blasted the Democrats as well, saying the party takes advantage of the LGBT community. Via Rolling Stone: 

“The Democrats pay lip service, OK? And give out transgender bathrooms,” Geller says. “That is not gay rights in the 21st century. Gay rights in the 21st century is [about] the persecution, oppression, execution of gays living in Muslim countries under the sharia. That is gay rights.”

.@PamelaGeller enters “Gays for Trump” party with rainbow shirt that says “love will win.” pic.twitter.com/AlreT60gIV

— Chris Johnson (@chrisjohnson82) July 20, 2016

Also present at the event was leader of the Dutch Freedom Party Geert Wilders who railed against Islam.

Some of his remarks via BuzzFeed: 

“It’s really so good to be back again in America all week at the convention of what you call the Grand Old Party,” Wilders, who is visiting the convention this week as a guest of the Tennessee Republican Party, told the crowd. Like the other speakers, Wilders spoke behind a lectern sporting a Trump-Pence sign and in front of a wall covered in photographs of half-naked young men wearing Make America Great Again hats taken by “Twinks for Trump” auteur Lucian Wintrich. “I’m not American but don’t blame me if I say I hope that Donald J. Trump will win the election.” Wilders was accompanied by several bodyguards who escorted him out immediately after he finished speaking, and organizers said Wilders was part of the reason security at the venue itself was so tight (attendees were wanded before going in).

As for what happened after the speeches concluded, it appears that the party devolved into a dance party. If you can call it that.

Exactly. What. You’d expect. pic.twitter.com/gztjF8sWpS

— Carlos Maza (@gaywonk) July 20, 2016

The post There Was a ‘Gays for Trump’ Party at the RNC and It Was Absolutely Insane – VIDEOS, PHOTOS appeared first on Towleroad.

feeds.towleroad.com/~r/towleroad/feed/~3/TM2BQvCPtNk/

Lawsuit: Trans Students Made To Wear Green Bracelets To ID Themselves

These trans students filed federal lawsuits saying their civil rights were violated after being denied access to bathrooms of their gender.

The post Lawsuit: Trans Students Made To Wear Green Bracelets To ID Themselves appeared first on ThinkProgress.

thinkprogress.org/education/2016/07/20/3800220/trans-students-file-federal-suits/

#AM_Equality Tip Sheet: July 20, 2016

TONIGHT AT THE RNC: ANTI-LGBTQ MIKE PENCE TO ACCEPT VEEP NOMINATION, PROGRAM FEATURES ANTI-EQUALITY POLS TED CRUZ AND PAM BONDI: The third day of the Republican National Convention features a parade of Republican officials who’ve consistently worked against LGBTQ equality throughout their careers — including Ted Cruz, who ended his failed presidential campaign with a false smear attack on transgender people, and Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, whose anti-LGBTQ record was on full display under questioning from CNN’s Anderson Cooper in the wake of Orlando. The evening will be capped off with an address by vice presidential nominee Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, who became a national disgrace in 2015 for his “license to discriminate” bill that could have allowed businesses to deny service to LGBTQ people. More on Pence’s long anti-equality record here.

RNC CHAIR PRIEBUS TRIES TO DENY ANTI-LGBTQ EXTENT OF PARTY’S PLATFORM: Republican National Committee delegates Monday opened their party convention by approving a heinous platform with a slew of anti-equality provisions, including attacks on transgender people and a commitment to overturn nationwide marriage equality. But RNC Chair Reince Priebus is trying to deny just how extreme the platform is, deceptively claiming in an interview with Chuck Todd that the platform doesn’t endorse conversion therapy. The amendment adopted by the platform committee explicitly supported conversation therapy. Party leaders modified the final language to keep the extreme position, but make it far less obvious. The context of the entire debate around this makes it crystal clear that “support[ing] the right of parents to determine the proper medical treatment and therapy for their minor children” means continuing to allow this harmful practice to be lawful. The fact that Tony Perkins and his allies didn’t raise a ruckus when the language was tweaked tells you all you need to know.

• Also in RNC Recapping… Ben Carson, speaking at the Florida delegation breakfast, compared transgender people to someone who “woke up tomorrow morning after seeing a movie about Afghanistan and saying ‘you know what? I’m Afghanistani [sic].” Said HRC President Chad Griffin in a tweet: “What doesn’t make sense is @RealBenCarson‘s ignorance of the medical community’s consensus about transgender people.” More from The Hill.
• Michael Flynn’s transphobic rhetoric: Watch retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General Michael Flynn launch a vile attack on transgender people during his speech Monday. Flynn’s rhetoric is consistent with the RNC Platform, and Donald Trump, who has gone on the record in support of North Carolina’s vile HB2. More here.
• Get the facts: HRC has released a video detailing the harsh reality that everything the LGBTQ community has fought for is at risk this election — from LGBTQ worker protections and the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” to transgender equality, marriage equality and global LGBTQ rights. As of last night, Donald Trump is the party’s official nominee. Watch the video here.

MCCRORY SELF-CONGRATULATES FOR UNDOING HIS OWN MISTAKE: North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory bizarrely patted himself on the back this week for repealing a provision within HB2 that he signed — and then almost immediately was forced to admit was “very poorly thought out.” McCrory this week restored the right to sue in state court for employment discrimination — though it shortened the window for employees to file those suits — but of course, he left intact the most vile anti-LGBTQ provisions of the deeply discriminatory HB2 law. The law has eliminated existing municipal non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people and prevents such protections from being passed by cities in the future. Furthermore, it unacceptably continues to prevent transgender students in public schools from using restrooms and other facilities consistent with their gender identity. More from HRC and The News and Observer.

HRC AND WALGREENS PARTNER ON NEW LGBTQ-INCLUSIVE GUIDE FOR PHARMACISTS AND STAFF: This week, the HRC Foundation in partnership with Walgreens, released a resource guide that helps pharmacists better understand the needs of LGBTQ customers and patients. The guide is being distributed by the pharmacy giant to more than 70,000 health care professionals across the country. Read the full resource guide here.

ANTI-EQUALITY ACTIVISTS ATTEMPTING TO REPEAL MA TRANS LAW: Anti-LGBTQ activists are at it again in Massachusetts, where they just filed a formal request to put the the state’s new trans-inclusive non-discrimination law on the ballot this November. If granted, they will have until late September to collect 32,275 names to force a fall referendum. More from The Boston Globe.

• Meanwhile in West Virginia: Despite the fact that his district was recently ravaged by devastating floods, anti-LGBTQ State Senator Robert Karnes is planning to hijack an expected special session focused on flood relief, by pushing for HB2-style anti-transgender legislation. Read about his despicable plan at the West Virginia Gazette.

VA LEGISLATORS INTRODUCE BILLS TO REPEAL STATE’S STATUTORY BANS ON SAME-SEX MARRIAGE: Virginia State Sen. Adam P. Ebbin and Delegate Mark D. Sickles, both openly gay, have introduced legislation to formally remove from state law and the state constitution language prohibiting marriage for same-sex couples. More from The Richmond Times-Dispatch.

HISTORIC CONGRESSIONAL HEARING ON LGBTQ HUMAN RIGHTS ABROAD: For the first time in Congressional history, a full committee in the U.S. House of Representatives held a hearing last week featuring a witness whose exclusive focus is the human rights of LGBTQ people around the world. The hearing included testimony from Mark Bromley, chair of the Council for Global Equality, a coalition of human rights groups — including HRC — that seeks to encourage greater U.S. support for LGBTQ people and communities around the world. More from HRC.

FOOD INSECURITY IN THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY: A new study by The Williams Institute found that one in four LGBTQ adults struggled to feed themselves or their families in the past year, compared to one in six non-LGBTQ adults. More from The New York Times.

SUPPORTING LGBTQ BABY-BOOMERS: San Diego will open its first LGBTQ-friendly affordable senior housing community in December 2017. A study on LGBTQ seniors finds that they are susceptible to poverty; 23 percent earn less than $20,000 a year and 68 percent lack younger friends or family for support. More from San Diego LGBT Weekly.

A STEP BACK IN ROMANIA: Today, the Constitutional Court of Romania ruled that it is not unconstitutional for an anti-LGBTQ group to request to change the country’s constitution to state that marriage is a union between a man and a woman. An actual change to the Romanian constitution requires a two thirds vote of Parliament. More from The Associated Press.

THE ISLE OF LOVE: Starting Friday, same-sex couples on the Isle of Man will be able to marry. This marks final implementation of the Marriage and Civil Partnership Amendment Act. More from Isle of Man Today.

READING RAINBOW

Gay Star News reports that one in three LGBTQ entrepreneurs don’t come out to potential investors; Fusion breaks down the Williams Institute’s study of the number of transgender people residing in each state; OUT Magazine celebrates the late Nelson Mandela’s birthday by sharing five of his inspiring quotes; Howl & Echoes previews Against Me!’s new album that explores transgender themes; The Washington Post shares the personal effect the GOP has had on one transgender woman; Gay Star News introduces us to a new transgender superhero; Roll Call highlights LGBTQ Republicans trying to find their way at the RNC; and NBC News covers the stories of transgender military service members who are now able to serve openly.

Have news? Send us your news and tips at [email protected]. Click here to subscribe to A.M. Equality and follow @HRC for all the latest news. Thanks for reading!

www.hrc.org/blog/am-equality-tip-sheet-july-20-2016?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

RNC Chair Priebus Tries to Deny Anti-LGBTQ Extent of Party’s Platform

In an interview earlier this week with NBC’s Chuck Todd, Republican National Convention (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus tried to deny just how extreme the platform is, falsely claiming that the platform doesn’t endorse “conversion therapy.”

“There’s two things in the platform that…I’m curious if you’re comfortable with it,” Todd asked. “One it says ‘conversion therapy.’”

“No, it doesn’t,” Priebus replied. “That’s out…There’s an amendment on that issue. It has been taken out…it’s not in the final platform.”

The amendment adopted by the platform committee explicitly supported “conversation therapy.” Party leaders modified the final language to keep the extreme position, but make it far less obvious. The context of the entire debate around this makes it crystal clear that “support[ing] the right of parents to determine the proper medical treatment and therapy for their minor children” means continuing to allow this harmful practice to be lawful. The fact that Tony Perkins and his allies didn’t raise a ruckus when the language was tweaked tells you all you need to know.

The party’s abhorrent platform, described by some of the GOP’s own members as the most anti-LGBTQ in history, aligns closely with positions taken by presidential nominee Donald Trump, and his vice presidential pick, Mike Pence, who has made virulent anti-LGBTQ activism a cornerstone of his political career.

In 2000, Pence wanted to cut funding for HIV prevention and redirect the funds toward those institutions which provide assistance to those seeking to “change their sexual behavior.”

“Conversion therapy” is based on the false premise that being LGBTQ is a mental illness that needs to be cured, a theory that has been rejected by every major medical and mental health organization for decades. For more information on the lies and dangers of efforts to change sexual orientation or gender identity can be found here.

www.hrc.org/blog/rnc-chair-priebus-tries-to-deny-anti-lgbtq-extent-of-partys-platform?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed