Mike Pence speech protested by Christian students in Indiana
US Vice President Mike Pence (Alex Wong/Getty)
Christian university students are protesting against vice president Mike Pence being invited to speak at their graduation ceremony.
Students at Taylor University, in Pence’s home state of Indiana, argue his invitation makes them complicit in the Trump administration’s hateful policies.
The petition on Change.org which is close to 5,000 signatures, says the current government’s policies are “not consistent with the Christian ethic of love.”
Some of the students point out that Pete Buttigieg, who is also an Indiana native, would be a more suitable choice for the commencement.
Pete Buttigieg has slammed Mike Pence for ‘bad policies’ (Alexandra Beier/Getty; Ethan Miller/Getty)
‘Buttigieg would be more suitable’
One protester says that Buttigieg, who is an openly gay politician running as a democratic candidate for president in 2020, is more representative of their inclusive Christan beliefs.
The announcement to have Mike Pence as speaker was made on April 11 on a Facebook post. Since the reveal, thousands of people have commented on social media arguing both for and against the vice president’s inclusion.
Kris Sampley Kubal wrote in response to the post: “As an alum, I am more disturbed by the pushback this commencement speaker choice is getting.”
While on the petition Austin Lindner wrote: “The fact that Taylor would invite Pence as a speaker honestly kills me a little bit. I can’t imagine what it must feel like for LGBT students to have to see this man’s harmful bulls**t be honored on the Taylor stage.”
Anti-LGBT policies from the Trump administration
According to GLADD’s Trump Accountability Project, the Trump administration has attacked LGBT+ rights 100 times since taking office.
In April Trump’s ban on transgender people serving in the military took effect across the US. According to the Palm Center around 13,700 people will lose their jobs as a result. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi labelled the ban “an act of cruelty.”
While the Department of Justice refuses to protect LGBT+ Americans from employment discrimination, and there’s been the nomination of ultra-conservative judicial nominees who can tip the consensus against LGBT+ rights.
