Don’t Think Mike Pence Is Hateful? Think Again

People who try to say Mike Pence isn't dangerous to queer people are a special kind of ignorant. It's nonsensical and infuriating that anyone could look at a man who supports conversion therapy, opposes marriage equality, and doesn't believe queer people can be the victim of hate crimes and decide that he doesn't hate all LGBTQ people. Can someone please explain this to me? I don't understand this white supremacist logic that says Mike Pence is an acceptable candidate for anything other than a drink thrown in his face.

During and after the election, articles have been popping up all over the web, reminding us of Pence's history of anti-LGBTQ work, because the mainstream seems to continually drop it from his narrative. It's like they don't believe he'll do anything awful while he's in the White House as if somehow this more powerful position will offer him less influence than when he was Governor of Indiana. His actions aside--and that's a big aside--his hateful and violent words and ideologies speak for themselves. He'd rather give money to organizations that convert sexuality than those that actually support them.

On his Governor campaign website he said, "Congress should support the reauthorization of the Ryan White Care Act only after completion of an audit to ensure that federal dollars were no longer being given to organizations that celebrate and encourage the types of behaviors 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 behavior."

Hidden behind the spectacle of Trump, people didn't pay attention to Pence. In fact, some people even found him to be the respectable and reasonable one next to Trump who could barely get through a debate without countless interruptions and tantrums. That was the media's mistake. Queer people knew who Mike Pence was from the start but people didn't want to listen to us. And now, as we fear for our futures, the same people that didn't listen to us want to tell us that everything is going to be ok.

It's beyond any sort of feeling of anger and indignation that non-queer people and privileged queer people can say that Pence isn't a threat. The words slither into my ears like tiny crawly bugs that I can't seem to get out. It doesn't make sense from any perspective. This isn't about emotions or bipartisan politics. This is about the fact that his track record proves without a shadow of a doubt that he will simultaneously attempt to stop us from getting any further in strides for equality and that he will try his damnedest to take away the rights and protections we do have.

Don't let phony empathy and ignorance make you feel bad for feeling how you feel. Marginalized people are always expected to take the high road and appeal to the sensibilities of their oppressors, but forget that mess. You don't need to be ok about any of this. If someone in your life is bothered that you're afraid or if it makes them uncomfortable, that's their problem, not yours. The truth is the truth no matter how they feel.

The horrifying reality is that Pence has passed and supported anti-queer legislation, presented historically successful, bigoted arguments about religious freedom that queer antagonistic people eat up, advocated against women's rights, and enabled an HIV outbreak. These aren't things we fear that he might do because of the media, these are just the things we have receipts for. Now he's one person away from being President of the United States of America and, given Trump's lack of any political history, you can be sure Pence will be doing much more than a typical Vice President. This is a legitimate reason to be afraid.

There will be people who try to talk you down and tell you that you're overreacting and that he won't really be able to do any of the horrible things he's proposed, but at the end of the day, they're just trying to make themselves feel better. We have a serious lack of empathy in this country, and people would rather lie to themselves and others than accept dark realities and concern themselves with the lives and liberties of other people. This situation is inconvenient, painful, traumatizing, and scary. Don't listen to anyone who tries to tell you otherwise because anyone who does clearly has never been harassed or attacked for their actual or perceived gender or sexuality. In short, they have no idea what they're talking about.