Metal band Slayer jokes about Mike Pence ‘turning Fruits into vegetables’ in pro-Trump rant
Metal band Slayer are receiving a backlash from fans after posting pro-Trump messages and joking about VP Mike Pence’s alleged support for ‘gay cure’ therapy.
The band’s lead singer Tom Araya took to Instagram after a previous photoshopped picture of the band with Trump attracted negative comments.
He fumed: “Never would have guessed that there where so many snowflakes commenting their distaste for the new president.”
One gay fan responded, explaining they were “worried about Mike Pence… [wanting to] ban anyone that’s different” – but Araya proceeded to mock them.
The singer wrote: “Mike pence turning fruits into vegtables???”
‘Fruits’ is a homophobic slur for gay men.
The fan hit back: “I happen to be gay so f**k you and your fruits to vegetables comment. Go crawl up Pence’s arse”.
Governor Pence previously suggested that HIV prevention funding be drained in order to fund state-sponsored ‘gay cure’ therapy.
On a 2000 Congressional campaign website, he wrote: “Congress should support the reauthorisation of the [HIV funding] Ryan White Care Act only after completion of an audit to ensure that federal dollars were no longer being given to organisations that celebrate and encourage the types of behaviours that facilitate the spreading of the HIV virus. Resources should be directed toward those institutions which provide assistance to those seeking to change their sexual behaviour.”
After months of silence on the issue during the Presidential campaign, last month Pence issued a statement through his spokesperson denying support for ‘gay cure’ therapy. The spokesperson claimed it was “patently false” that Pence “supported or advocated” the practice.
Although Pence’s website called for therapy to “change their sexual behaviour”, the spokesperson claimed he had simply been calling for federal funds to “be directed to groups that promoted safe sexual practices”.
The Act in question already provides funding to groups that promoted safe sexual practices, so it is unclear how exactly Pence could have possibly been making such a suggestion.
It is also unclear why Pence has not sought to “correct” the record at any point since his nomination as Trump’s VP, before months later insisting his comments were “mischaracterised”.
