Heckler Asks Mike Pence to 'Come Out' During NH Campaign Event

Poor Mike Pence. You would think that his stolid persona and Middle American conservatism would be getting some traction in the GOP. But it is not 25-years ago when his brand of conservatism held sway with Republicans. Today's GOP is nastier, no longer speaking with dog whistles, and poor Pence is out-of-step. For proof, look no further than the latest poll from fivethirtyeight.com that has him in fifth place with just 3.7% of support for the former Vice President.

And he couldn't even register for the New Hampshire primary today without being heckled by a man who claimed he was gay.

As he called himself "the most experienced, most tested conservative seeking the Republican nomination," an unknown man interrupted him. ""Mike Pence, are you going to tell them?" the anonymous man asked. "You promised today was our Coming Out Day. ... Mike Pence and I are gay."

Yesterday, October 13, was National Coming Out Day.

Pence attempted to continue, but was stopped by an adviser who turned his attention to the heckler.

"Here's the proof," the heckler said twice as Pence's spokesperson attempted to speak.

"I'll admit your John Deere is bigger than mine," the heckler said as he was seemingly escorted out of the room.

Pence's spokesperson apologized for the disruption and Pence continued. "We don't know what the future hold for our little family, but we know who holds the future. We entrust ourselves to the judgement of the people of the Granite State. We're going to trust ourself to the judgement of the American people."

Pence has long opposed LGBTQ+ equality. The Human Rights Campaign wrote in June: "Mike Pence has spent decades targeting the dignity and existence of LGBTQ+ people as his candidacy threatens hard-won equality and poses a risk to the rights of women, people of color, and a more equitable, democratic America."

For a timeline of Pence's opposition to LGBTQ+ issues, follow this link.

The website PostMillennial reported Pence's response to a student who asked him in April 2022 what he would say to a child of his own who was gay.

"I'd look him in the eye and say I love you," Pence said.

"But let me say on this issue," Pence said at the time, "if we got to know each other, you'd know the Pences love everybody. We treat everybody the way we want to be treated. But on this issue, and it's frankly something that when the Obergefell decision was made which legalized same-sex marriage in America, the Supreme Court, Justice Kennedy wrote at the end, that this decision will likely create an intersection and tension between people in same-sex relationships and people in the exercise of their religious liberty."

Would he also tell his son that he has actively lobbied against same sex marriage, LGBTQ+ anti-discrimination legislation, LGBTQ+ representation in the military, and same-sex parenting. As governor of Indiana, he signed a controversial "religious freedom" bill that religious conservatives in his state "championed for the purposes of allowing business owners the right to refuse service to LGBTQ customers. After outcry and boycotts, Pence was forced to sign an amended version that made it clear the law cannot be used to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity," reported GLAAD.