WASHINGTON — Today, the Human Rights Campaign ( HRC ), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer ( LGBTQ ) civil rights organization, launched "The Real Mike Pence," a comprehensive campaign — including a scathing report and microsite — exposing the vice president's long history of anti-LGBTQ animus and shining a spotlight on the inordinate influence he and his inner circle wield in the administration. As part of the campaign, HRC will also be launching a series of videos exposing Mike Pence's record; today The Real Mike Pence campaign launches with a look at his career of attacks on LGBTQ people: WATCH.
With Donald Trump mired in lurid scandals and investigations that threaten his presidency, Mike Pence has flown under the radar, amassing enormous power in an administration hobbled by clueless advisors, inexperienced staffers and a revolving cast of lawyers. Pence is exploiting that alarming leadership void by quietly spearheading a charge to radically undermine the rights of LGBTQ people and women, attack voting rights, undercut sound science, and enable the greatest assault on American institutions in modern history.
"Mike Pence has made a career out of attacking the rights and equal dignity of LGBTQ people, women and other marginalized communities. Now as vice president, he poses one of the greatest threats to equality in the history of our movement," said HRC President Chad Griffin. "With the world distracted by Donald Trump's scandal-ridden White House, Mike Pence's nefarious agenda has been allowed to fly under the radar for too long. He has become not only the most powerful vice president in American history, but also the least scrutinized. No more. With this comprehensive new report, HRC is exposing the extent of Pence's extremism, the threat he poses to equality, and all that we're doing to combat his hateful agenda."
With his ready access to the levers of national power, no vice president in history has wielded more influence — and with less scrutiny — than Mike Pence. His deliberate benign anonymity, coupled with the nation's growing alarm at the shocking skulduggery of Trump and his cronies, has largely given Pence an undeserved free ride in the court of public opinion.
No more. HRC's comprehensive report pulls back the curtain on Mike Pence and his inner circle to dispel the specious notion that Mike Pence is the "rational" voice in this unhinged administration. That narrative defies reality, ignoring the deeply troubling history of this deeply discriminatory politician and his aggressive agenda to advance an extremist ideology.
HRC's new report and microsite shine a spotlight on Pence's inside-the-White House efforts to continue his decades-long crusade by leading the Trump-Pence administration's attacks on LGBTQ people, including those who bravely serve our nation in the military. It lays out his long record of support for the abusive practice of so-called "conversion therapy"; his relentless pursuit of a license to discriminate against LGBTQ people; his attempts to block hate crime legislation and funding for HIV and AIDS prevention; and his efforts to undermine access to health and reproductive care essential to LGBTQ people. He also keeps busy with his extremist agenda by working to undermine science, health, transparency, education, justice and public safety.
It has never been more important for a nation to know — really know — its vice president. "The Real Mike Pence" should be required reading for anyone who cares about equality and the future of our democracy.
Read more here assets2.hrc.org/files/assets/resources/RealMikePence-2018-FinalReport.pdf .
The Human Rights Campaign is America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work, and in every community.
