INDIANAPOLIS – As Mike Pence is expected to campaign with Rafael Cruz this evening, this pairing couldn’t have made more sense. Both Pence and Cruz – Ted Cruz’s father – have long-standing anti-LGBT histories, including ideas like RFRA that jolted the state with a $250 million economic panic and placed Indiana’s “Hoosier Hospitality” reputation in jeopardy.
The fact is, Mike Pence would rather run to Warsaw to see national political figures than meet with concerned Hoosiers – like women, LGBT Hoosiers, and Syrian families – who wanted to see leadership from their governor.
“Instead of addressing the growing wage gap for workers or forming a long-term plan to fix the state’s crumbling infrastructure, Mike Pence is cozying up next to Rafael Cruz, a public figure who has supported RFRA-like policies that have proven to cripple state economies, including Indiana,” said Drew Anderson, communications director. “You would think after Mike Pence put Indiana’s welcoming reputation at risk that he would put his ideology aside for the state’s well-being. But instead, it’s evident that Mike Pence under no circumstances would put commonsense ahead of his national ambitions. We can do better.”
BACKGROUND INFO: RAFAEL CRUZ AND MIKE PENCE’S ANTI-LGBT HISTORY
RAFAEL CRUZ
Ted Cruz’s Dad Warned of the Dangers with Nondiscrimination Laws. “Cruz responded by warning of what he said was the danger of nondiscrimination laws such as one enacted in Houston in 2014. Opponents succeeded in getting it put to voters in a referendum which will be held next Tuesday. ‘We have a lot of apathy and a lot of ignorance. But we need to be cognizant of something that is called sexual orientation and gender identity ordinances — SOGI ordinances,’ he said. ‘SOGI ordinances are very stealthily being promoted into a lot of communities like the one in Houston. We need to be very aware of what’s happening in the city council level passing these SOGI ordinances which are actually promoting this sexual orientation and gender identity to be part of the curriculum in public schools.’” [BuzzFeed News, 10.28.15]
Ted Cruz’s Dad Says LGBT Activists Will Push To Legalize Pedophilia. “LGBT activists’ next goal is legalizing pedophilia, Pastor Rafael Cruz — father of Republican senator and presidential candidate Ted Cruz — told BuzzFeed News on Wednesday. ‘I think that’s the next thing that they’re going to push, to try to legalize pedophiles,’ Cruz said. ‘Pedophilia, you have all these laws to forget about — we have laws on the books about statutory rape. You have to basically throw away the statutory rape laws to legalize pedophilia.’ [BuzzFeed News, 10.28.15]
MIKE PENCE
2000: During his congressional campaign, Mike Pence said, “Congress should oppose any effort to put gay and lesbian relationships on an equal legal status with heterosexual marriage.”
2000: Pence also supported the reauthorization of the Ryan White Care Act only if federal dollars were excluded from organizations who “celebrate” and “encourage” behavior that facilitates spreading of the HIV virus. Further, Pence supported this reauthorization only if “those institutions provided assistance to those looking to change their sexual behavior”, an off-the-cuff endorsement for ex-gay conversion therapy.
2004: Mike Pence co-sponsored a proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would define marriage as solely between one man and one woman.
2007: Pence voted against the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA).
2010: Mike Pence voted against the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal which allowed LGBT Americans to openly serve their country in military service.
2012: Pence refused to say on the record if he supported a same-sex couple raising a child together.
2014: Gov. Pence supported HJR-3, a bill to add an amendment banning same-sex marriage to Indiana’s Constitution.
2015: Governor Pence signed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act in a closed-door ceremony surrounded by special interest lobbyists.
2015: Governor Pence said on ABC’s “This Week” that it was “absolutely not” a mistake to sign RFRA, throwing Indiana into a $250 million economic panic and putting Indiana’s “Hoosier Hospitality” reputation in jeopardy.
2015: Even after his approval rating plummets from RFRA, Mike Pence on July 22 told the media he is “studying” the issue of LGBT rights and whether or not he’d support across the board protections for the LGBT community.
2016: After 174 days, Gov. Pence advocated against protections for LGBT Hoosiers, saying “I will not support any bill that diminishes the religious freedom of Hoosiers or that interferes with the constitutional rights of our citizens to live out their beliefs in worship, service or work.”
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