Throughout the course of his campaign, Donald Trump has made it clear that he is no friend to the LGBT community. And his most recent choice for vice presidential candidate cements it.
Trump's pick, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, has a long history of being anti-LGBT rights and freedoms. It would appear that during his time in Congress and subsequent time as governor, attempting to squash the LGBT community was a top priority.
Here are just a few of Pence's highlights:
1. Last year he made national news by signing a so-called "religious freedom" bill into law in Indiana. The law effectively allowed businesses to deny service to LGBT customers.
2. Pence opposed the Supreme Court's decision to legalize same-sex marriage. After the ruling was announced, Pence told the press, "Like many Hoosiers, I believe marriage is the union between one man and one woman, and I am disappointed that the Supreme Court failed to recognize the historic role of the states in setting marriage policy in this country. "
3. He supported an in-state measure to ban same-sex marriage in Indiana.
4. Pence was also against the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."
5. While running for Congress in 2000, he suggested that the government lower resources for HIV treatment and shift focus to conversion therapy.
6. Unsurprisingly, Pence supported DOMA, the Defense of Marriage Act, which was ruled unconstitutional.
7. When asked multiple times by George Stephanopoulos on ABC's This Week with George Stephanopoulos if LGBT discrimination by businesses or citizens should be lawful, Pence could not give a clear answer, even when it was posed as a yes-or-no question.
8. He voted against the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.
9. He also voted against the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act and, when it passed, said, "The president has used his position as commander in chief to advance a radical social agenda when he should have used it to advance legislation that would unequivocally support our troops."
Finally, and most recently...
10. When the Obama administration provided guidance for schools saying that transgender students should be allowed to use the restroom that corresponds with their gender identity, Pence stated that "The federal government has no business getting involved in issues of this nature."
What does this all mean?
Basically, when it comes to LGBT issues Mike Pence is....
