Shortly after the mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, that left 32 people dead, Vice President Mike Pence posted this on Twitter Sunday:
We mourn with those who lost loved ones in El Paso and Dayton & are praying for the injured and the families. There is no place in America for acts of violence, hatred and racism. We condemn these evil acts & stand with the people of Texas and Ohio. May God bless you all.
— Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) August 4, 2019
Be sure and pay special notice to the line that reads “there is no place in America for acts of violence, hatred and racism,” because that’s exactly what Pence turned around and did Tuesday when he agreed to meet with a right-wing hate group that goes by the name of the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF).
Never heard of the ADF? They’ve been designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, which had this to say about them:
“The Alliance Defending Freedom is a legal advocacy and training group that has supported the recriminalization of homosexuality in the U.S. and criminalization abroad; has defended state-sanctioned sterilization of trans people abroad; has linked homosexuality to pedophilia and claims that a ‘homosexual agenda’ will destroy Christianity and society.”
And yet, Pence lavished members of the ADF with elaborate praise, remarking:
“As you all in ADF know well, we live in a time where we’ve seen people driving religion from the public square, and it’s even become fashionable for many in the media and popular culture to mock religious belief.”
In Pence and the ADF’s ideal world, LGBT Americans would be discriminated against at every level with the full blessings of the federal government. They would be excluded from basic services such as housing, education, and even medical care simply because they aren’t heterosexual.
So while Mike Pence may pretend he’s opposed to hatred, violence, and racism, his speech to a disgusting group of homophobic bigots proves that he’s almost as much of a hypocrite as the man he works for.
Featured Image Via Screenshot
