J.K. Rowling burns Trump’s homophobic VP Mike Pence
Harry Potter author and unofficial queen of Twitter JK Rowling was back on form today, taking aim at Vice President Mike Pence.
The author took aim at the Vice President in the wake of Donald Trump’s controversial decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement on climate change.
In a bizarre interview with Fox News, VP Mike Pence had claimed that “for some reason or another, this issue of climate change has emerged as a paramount issue for the left”.
Rowling shared the clip online, accompanied by a summary of what Pence probably meant.
She wrote: “Damn those lefties and their so-called science. What are they REALLY up to, that’s the question. Bet you $10 it’s something gay.”
‘Damn those lefties and their so-called science. What are they REALLY up to, that’s the question. Bet you $10 it’s something gay.’ https://t.co/ofZvWfVxJs
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 2, 2017
The author, who also took on a homophobic Trump fan this week, was alluding to Pence’s long homophobic record.
A hardline evangelical who has not supported a single LGBT reform across two decades in politics, VP Pence came to office with one of the worst records on equality of any President or Vice President in recent memory.
The former Governor of Indiana stirred up international outrage in 2015 when he signed Indiana’s controversial ‘Religious Freedom Restoration Act’, giving businesses the right to discriminate against gay people on the grounds of religion.
Pence claimed the law was intended to “protect” organisations from having to provide services for same-sex weddings, saying: “I support the freedom of religion for every Hoosier [Indiana citizen] of every faith.
“The Constitution of the United States and the Indiana Constitution both provide strong recognition of the freedom of religion but today, many people of faith feel their religious liberty is under attack.”
Last year appeared unable to answer when asked whether it should be legal to fire people because of their sexuality.
In a clip, Pence was asked: “Yes or no: do you believe gay and transgender people should be able to be fired from their jobs just for that reason only?”
After an awkward ten-second silence, Pence attempted to stall, responding: “It’s a great privilege to be your Governor.”
Fudging a response, he said: “My position as I expressed in the state of the State address is that we are a state with a constitution, and as you know… that constitution has very strong safeguards for freedom of conscience and freedom of religion.”
Just a few months ago Pence confirmed plans to roll back Barack Obama’s executive protections on LGBT rights, so that “the transgender bathroom issue can be resolved with common sense at the local level”.
He said: “This is such an example of an administration that seems to have… there’s no area of our lives too small for them to want to regulate, no aspect of our constitution too large for them to ignore.
“Donald Trump and I both believe these questions can be resolved with common sense at the local level.”
“These issues are resolved in the state of Indiana whenever they come up, and they should be resolved, for the safety and well-being of our children first and foremost, their privacy and rights, and with common sense. Donald Trump and I simply believe all of these issues are best resolved at the state level, by communities.”
He added: “Washington has no business intruding on the operation of our local schools. It’s just one more example of the heavy hand of this administration, and Donald Trump and I will stand by that common-sense people that when it comes to our kids, and the operation of our schools, those decisions should be made at the local level.
“Washington DC has no business imposing its bill and its values on communities around the nation.”
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 reauthorization 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.”
Decades of proof have not stopped Pence from attempting to rewrite his deeply anti-LGBT record, however.
