Mike Pence to be met with ‘big gay dance party’ during Ohio visit

Mr Pence is in Ohio to talk about Republican tax reforms

Clark Mindock
New York
Wednesday 13 June 2018 22:45 BST
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The LGBTQ community has protested Mr Pence with dance parties before
The LGBTQ community has protested Mr Pence with dance parties before

Vice President Mike Pence will be met by a “big gay dance party” when he takes a trip to Ohio this summer.

Organisers are planning the party — complete with DJs and drag queens — to protest Mr Pence’s well known anti-LGBTQ policies, and his visit, which comes at the start of the Columbus’ pride weekend.

“Ohioans will protest Vice President Mike Pence...by dancing outside the hotel and performances including DJs and drag queens,” ProgressOhio, a left-leaning think tank, said in a press release.

That group is co-sponsoring Friday's dance party.

“We want to counter that anti-LGBT attitude that they have with a big, positive, loving dance party,” Jay Smith, an organiser for the event, told the the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Mr Pence has been frequently criticised and protested for his stances on LGBTQ issues, especially during his time as governor of Indiana.

This will not be the first time that Mr Pence will have been protested by pro-LGBTQ groups with a big dance party. Protesters gathered for a big party in January 2017 outside of his Washington residence, for instance, in what was a similar event to what people in Ohio are planning.

Mr Pence gained national notoriety and prominence in 2015 when, as governor of Indiana, when he signed the state’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which critics said would encourage discrimination against gay people.

The vice president is making the trip to Ohio to talk about the Republican tax overhaul, which cut taxes for most Americans, with a significant portion of that tax relief going towards wealthy Americans and corporations, which the GOP said would pass along tax savings to their employees.

While some corporations did initially announce bonuses for employees, some studies and Republicans themselves have said that most corporations spent the savings to buy back stocks.

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