Queer VoicesMike PencehomophobiaQueer Voices

Mike Pence's Neighbors Are Trolling Him With Rainbow Flags

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By 

Senior Culture Reporter, HuffPost

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Two weeks after Mike Pence was schooled on racial and ethnic diversity by the cast of Broadway’s “Hamilton,” others who disagree with the vice president-elect’s views are expressing themselves in profound ways. 

Residents in the Chevy Chase neighborhood of Washington, D.C. where Pence is currently renting a $6,000-a-month home, are displaying rainbow flags on their porches and lawns, ABC 7 News reports. Their aim, neighbors say, is to send a “respectful message” to Pence, who vehemently opposes same-sex marriage and other LGBTQ-related causes. 

“This is one way that I can show my disagreement,” Ilse Heintzen, who lives on Pence’s block, told the news station. “I have no idea what [the vice president- elect] will think about it, but I hope he will change his mind.” 

On Tuesday, ABC 7 reporter Suzanne Kennedy posted snapshots of the flags in question on Twitter.

Her colleague, Tim Barber, followed suit. His photo showed the home of a resident who hung their flag just above a campaign sign for Democratic president nominee Hillary Clinton. 

No word yet on whether or not Pence has seen the flags, but if the vice president-elect’s history has taught us anything, opposition to the incoming administration’s stance on LGBTQ rights will be critical. The Indiana governor has supported LGBTQ discrimination under the banner of religious freedom, and laid the groundwork for a massive HIV outbreak in his state by slashing public health funding and opposing needle exchange efforts, believing that they promoted drug use. 

Here’s to hoping the colorful gesture has an impact. 

CLARIFICATION: The original version of this article stated that Pence was living in Chevy Chase, Maryland. It’s actually the Chevy Chase neighborhood of Washington, D.C. 

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Before You Go

6 Reasons Mike Pence Is Terrible For LGBTQ People
He has supported LGBT discrimination under the banner of "religious freedom."(01 of06)
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In March 2015, Pence signed Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act (or RFRA) into law, effectively legalizing discrimination against LGBT people across the state. The bill, which Vox called "one of the biggest political crises" of Pence's career, allowed business owners to cite their religious beliefs as justification for turning away LGBT customers.

The bill's passage sparked national controversy, and in the end, was reported to have set the state back $250 million. In April 2015, Pence signed a revised version of the bill into law that included language that explicitly barred businesses from denying services to customers on the basis of categories that include sexual orientation and gender identity. Many LGBT rights advocates remained critical of the revisions, saying that Indiana should have repealed the measure altogether. (credit:CHRIS KEANE / Reuters)
He REALLY opposes same-sex marriage.(02 of06)
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Pence has long been an outspoken opponent of marriage equality, and in floor speeches during his time in Congress, described marriage as being “ordained by God.”

Of the Supreme Court’s 2015 ruling that granted same-sex couples the right to tie the knot nationwide, he reportedly said that he said he was disappointed that SCOTUS had “failed to recognize the historic role of the states in setting marriage policy,” but nonetheless noted that he believed “in the rule of law.” (credit:Jonathan Ernst / Reuters)
He's opposed hate crime protections for LGBT people.(03 of06)
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In 2009, Pence was an outspoken opponent of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which officially expanded federal hate crime legislation to include violence directed at members of the LGBT community.

At the time, Pence blasted President Barack Obama for using the measure to “advance a radical social agenda,” according to USA Today, and argued that the law could be used to curb free speech rights. (credit:David Becker / Reuters)
He didn't want "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repealed.(04 of06)
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Pence was no fan of President Obama's decision to repeal "don't ask, don't tell," which banned gay and lesbian people from serving in the armed forces.

In 2010 he told CNN he did not want to see the military become “a backdrop for social experimentation," and said, "We ought to put their interests and the interests of our national security first." (credit:John Sommers II / Reuters)
He opposed Obama's 2016 transgender bathroom directive.(05 of06)
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In May, Pence spoke out against the Obama administration's directive advising public schools to allow trans students to use the bathroom that best corresponds with their gender identity or risk losing federal funding.

“The federal government has not business getting involved in issues of this nature,” Pence said. (credit:Jonathan Ernst / Reuters)
His stance on HIV/AIDS prevention is questionable at best.(06 of06)
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In 2000, Pence suggested that money from a program to help those with HIV/AIDS should be repurposed toward organizations that “provide assistance to those seeking to change their sexual behavior,” BuzzFeed reports.

He's also suggested that needle exchange programs, which can be used to help prevent the spread of HIV, encouraged drug use.

Last year, Pence reluctantly allowed for a short-term needle exchange program to be put into place in Indiana following a spike in HIV infections across the state.

"I do not enter into this lightly," he told The Indianapolis Star. "In response to a public health emergency, I'm prepared to make an exception to my long-standing opposition to needle exchange programs." (credit:Andrew Kelly / Reuters)
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