Mike Pence officially joins disgustingly anti-LGBT+ think tank Heritage Foundation to promote ‘traditional values’
Former vice president Mike Pence arrives at a campaign rally at the BOK Center, 20 June 2020 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Former vice president Mike Pence will join the anti-LGBT+ think tank the Heritage Foundation.
Pence will join the Heritage Foundation as a distinguished visiting fellow, according to a press release from the think tank. He will supposedly advise Heritage experts on public policy issues and ensure the organisation “remains the leading conservative voice on solutions to America’s biggest challenges”.
Pence will also deliver a series of speeches on policy issues and continue to a monthly column for the organisation’s news outlet.
The @Heritage Foundation is a flagship of the conservative movement and I am profoundly honored to join them as a distinguished visiting fellow to advance conservative policies that will benefit every American. 🇺🇸 https://t.co/htnz7RE6nm
— Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) February 4, 2021
Heritage Foundation had been a huge presence in the Trump administration. Several former Heritage staffers worked for the administration and many of the group’s policy suggestions became part of the Trump administration’s positions.
Kay C James, president of Heritage, said it was the group’s influence that “inspired Pence to help create a think tank in his home state of Indiana… three decades ago”. She added: “After coming to Washington as a congressman and later as vice president, Pence frequently collaborated with Heritage and will now continue to do so as a distinguished visiting fellow.”
During his tenure of the governor of Indiana, Mike Pence signed a law that allowed businesses to refuse service to LGBT+ patrons. The law essentially says the government can’t infringe on a person’s ability to practice their religion unless the government can prove it has a compelling reason to do so. So the law essentially gave businesses the ability to decline service to LGBT+ customers for “religious” reasons.
Heritage claims that laws that protect LGBT+ Americans from discrimination based on their sexual orientation and gender identity are unjustified. The group says the laws “do not protect equality before the law; instead, they grant special privileges” to LGBT+ people.
Mike Pence has a long history of anti-LGBT+ views.
In a tweet announcing his partnership with Heritage Foundation, Mike Pence directly attributed the group with shaping his political philosophy and influencing the Trump administration. He wrote: “Heritage helped shape my conservative philosophy for decades and played a pivotal role in advancing conservative policies throughout the Trump administration.
“I look forward to rolling up my sleeves and working with the all-star team at Heritage as we continue to take the case for a strong national defence, free markets and traditional values to policymakers across the nation and to every American who cherishes our heritage of freedom.”
Pence is also famous for his connections to conversion therapy, the dangerous and discredited practise that’s been banned in multiple areas including Germany, Malta, Ecuador, Brazil and Taiwan. Multiple states and several cities in the US have banned the practice for minors.
Pence has also strongly opposed same-sex marriages. In 2015, when the Supreme Court ruled that state bans were unconstitutional, making marriage equality the law of the US, he said: “I believe marriage is the union between one man and one woman, and I am disappointed that the Supreme Court failed to recognise the historic role of the states in setting marriage policy in this country.”
