How To Troll Mike Pence? Let Me Count The Ways (VIDEO)


Vice President-elect Mike Pence is known for his virulently anti-LGBT policies, from so-called “religious freedom” bills to advocating harmful conversion therapy. Now that he’ll be second in line to the presidency, the LGBT community and allies are not going to let him down easy.

A Pence Of Crap

Pence’s tenure as governor of Indiana brought about the worst HIV outbreak in the state’s history. In 2013, he signed a bill that would imprison same-sex couples applying for a marriage license. He signed the “religious freedom” law in Indiana that welcomed discrimination (he later signed an amendment to the law after facing fierce criticism; the amendment specifically carved out protections for the LGBT community).

His opposition to LGBT rights didn’t start with his governorship. As a member of Congress, Pence voted against the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” He said that passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) would discriminate against Christians. And, in 2000, he proposed funneling HIV-prevention funding towards harmful “conversion therapy.”

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg with this asshole.

Trollin’, Trollin’, Trollin’

Many people worry about what a Trump/Pence administration will do to their civil rights, and with good reason. The campaign rhetoric of those two left little to the imagination, and the 2016 GOP platform on which they ran is the most anti-LGBT platform in history. And, just today, the Independent reported:

“Donald Trump has reportedly given ‘assurances’ that he will take action to undermine laws that are seen as protecting the rights of gay people in the US.”

However, reports of people trolling Mike Pence, in a manner of speaking, have been emerging, and they’re wonderful.

The Chicago Tribune reported that Pence’s neighbor in Washington, D.C., along with at least six of her neighbors, hung rainbow flags outside their homes to send a message to the Vice President-elect.

WBFO, a Buffalo, New York affiliate of NPR, reported that an Erie County legislator, Patrick Burke, introduced legislation to ban conversion therapy. He called the law: Prevention of Emotional Neglect and Childhood Endangerment, or PENCE.

And, of course, the Hamilton incident, in which openly gay and HIV-positive Broadway actor Javier Muñoz delivered a poignant message to Pence after a performance of their show.

It’s not just the LGBT community and allies trolling Pence, either. More than 70,000 donations (at last count) rolled into Planned Parenthood in Pence’s honor in the weeks since the election. Each donation in his honor means a certificate is mailed to his office.

The next four years are going to be hell for many people — including many of the working class people who decided to vote for Trump and Pence. We’ll all probably need a little therapy to get us through.

Trolling Mike Pence, however, can send a message and be cathartic at the same time. Troll on, my friends.

Featured Image by DonkeyHotey via Flickr/CC BY 2.0

Carrie is a progressive mom and wife living in the upper Midwest.