What we know about Gov. Mike Pence's posn on gay rights over the years

Contents:

• MIKE PENCE ARGUED HOMOSEXUALY WAS ‘A CHOICE’ OR ‘LEARNED BEHAVR’ DURG 1990S FIGHT AGAST GAY RIGHTS ORDANCE
• WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT GOV. MIKE PENCE'S POSN ON GAY RIGHTS OVER THE YEARS
• DID MIKE PENCE SUPPORT 'GAY CONVERSN' THERAPY?
• NCAA ‘NCERNED’ OVER INDIANA LAW THAT ALLOWS BIZ TO REJECT GAYS
• INDIANA GOVERNOR: LAWMAKERS TO 'CLARIFY' ANTI-GAY LAW
• INDIANA REPUBLINS WERE WARNED ABOUT THEIR ANTI-GAY BILLOOPSINSIRS SAY MIKE PENCE WAS TOLD ABOUT AMENDMENTS TO STRENGTHEN LGBT PROTECTN BEFORE HE SIGNED THE BILL TO LAW. NOW HE’S TRYG TO “FIX” WHAT HE BROKE.JACKIE KUCICHUPDATED APR. 14, 2017 11:56AM EDT / PUBLISHED MAR. 31, 2015 1:20PM EDT NATHAN CHUTE/RTERSGOVERNOR MIKE PENCE PROMISED TUDAY TO “FIX” A NTROVERSIAL LAW WH ANTI-GAY UNRTON AN ATTEMPT TO STOP THE NSTANT HAMMERG THE STATE HAS RECEIVED SCE HE SIGNED THE RELIG FREEDOM RTORATN ACT TO LAW LAST WEEK.“I DON’T BELIEVE FOR A MUTE THAT WAS THE TENTN OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO CREATE A LICENSE TO DISCRIMATE OR RIGHT TO NY SERVIC TO GAYS, LBIANS OR ANYONE ELSE THE STATE, AND CERTALY WASN’T MY TENT, BUT I N APPRECIATE THAT HAS BEE THE PERCEPTN,” PENCE SAID.BUT ADVOT FOR CHANG TO THE LAW SAID IF PENCE DIDN’T KNOW THIS WOULD TURN TO A PUBLIC-RELATNS DUMPSTER FIRE, HE WAS EHER WILLFULLY IGNORANT OR SIMPLY DIDN’T RE.GAY-RIGHTS ADVOT SAID THEY FLAGGED THE PROBLEM WH THE LACK OF PROTECTIVE LANGUAGE EARLY THE PROCS AND PHED MOR AMENDMENTS TO THE BILL, THEY SAY, WOULD HAVE LARGELY ROLVED THE ISSUE. IT IS UNCLEAR WHETHER PENCE HIMSELF KNEW ABOUT THE AMENDMENTS, BUT TWO PEOPLE FAIAR WH THE LOBBYG EFFORT BEHD THE MEASUR PRO-LGBT MEASUR SAID WAS CLEAR VERY EARLY THE PROCS THAT THE ERNOR DID NOT WANT ANY CHANG TO THE BILL.“PENCE AND HIS PARTY SISTED THAT THE BILL NOT BE BALANCED,” SAID INDIANA REPRENTATIVE ED DELANEY, A DEMOCRAT AND THE THOR OF AN AMENDMENT THAT WOULD HAVE ADD THE SENTENCE “THE PROTECTN OF CIVIL RIGHTS; OR THE PREVENTN OF DISCRIMATN; IS A PELLG ERNMENT TERT” TO THE BILL.DELANEY SAID PENCE’S OFFICE EHER DIDN’T KNOW OR DIDN’T RE ABOUT THE AMENDMENTS.“HE’S CREATED THIS PROBLEM,” DELANEY SAID.ANOTHER AMENDMENT WOULD HAVE EXEMPTED CIVIL RIGHTS LAWS OM RFRA—A CHANGE MOLED AFTER SIAR LAWS MISSOURI AND TEXAS. (INDIANA’S CIVIL RIGHTS LAWS DO NOT PROTECT LGBT DIVIDUALS—BUT SEVERAL LOL MUNICIPALI, LIKE INDIANAPOLIS, HAVE LAWS ON THE BOOKS THAT EXTEND CIVIL RIGHTS PROTECTNS TO THE LGBT MUNY).BOTH AMENDMENTS WERE REJECTED BY THE REPUBLIN-LED INDIANA LEGISLATURE.PENCE’S RETREAT—JT SUNDAY HE SAID THE LAW WOULD NOT BE CHANGED—SIGNIFIED THAT INDIANA’S CULTURE WARRR HAD, ONCE AGA, B OFF MORE THAN HE ULD CHEW.AS THE UPROAR STARTED, PENCE STAFF THOUGHT THE ISSUE WOULD FA, ACRDG TO A SOURCE LAST WEEK FAIAR WH A NVERSATN BETWEEN PENCE AND HIS AIS. SO WHILE PENCE EXPRSED SURPRISE AT THE VRL CREATED BY THE LAW, LGBT ADVOT SAID HE SHOULD HAVE SEEN G.“THERE IS NO SURPRISE THIS,” DALE CARPENTER, A NSTUTNAL AND CIVIL LIBERTI LAW PROFSOR AT THE UNIVERSY OF MNOTA LAW SCHOOL.“THEY CHOSE TO REJECT THOSE CHANG THE MTEE AND AGA ON THE HOE FLOOR THAT SUGGTS TO BE THE LEGISLATIVE TENT HERE IS TO ALLOW RELIG EEDOM TO IMPACT ANTI-DISCRIMATN LAWS,” SAID TYLER DEATON, SENR ADVISOR AT AMERIN UNY FUND, A PRO-GAY NSERVATIVE GROUP.PENCE SISTED AN UNCHARACTERISTILLY FENSIVE TERVIEW ON THIS WEEK LAST SUNDAY THE BILL WAS ABOUT RELIG LIBERTY, NOT DISCRIMATN.“THERE’S BEEN SHAMELS RHETORIC ABOUT MY STATE AND ABOUT THIS LAW AND ABOUT S TENTN ALL OVER THE INTER,” HE SAID. “PEOPLE ARE TRYG TO MAKE ABOUT ONE PARTICULAR ISSUE.”“SHAMELS RHETORIC” ASI, THERE ARE PLENTY OF REASONS TO BE SKEPTIL OF PENCE’S EXPLANATN, STARTG WH THE ACTUAL SIGNG OF THE BILL.AND HAD EVERYTHG TO DO WH THE “PARTICULAR ISSUE.”IN A PHOTO OF THE PRIVATE SIGNG CEREMONY, PENCE IS SURROUND BY A SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE—CLUDG THE THREE WISE MEN OF THE ANTI-GAY MARRIAGE MOVEMENT OF INDIANA: MIH CLARK, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE AMERIN FAY ASSOCIATN OF INDIANA; CURT SMH, PRINT OF THE INDIANA FAY INSTUTE; AND ERIC MILLER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ADVANCE AMERI.DELANEY SAID THE PRENCE OF THOSE DIVIDUALS AT THE SIGNG CEREMONY SPOKE VOLUM ABOUT THE TENT OF THE LAW.“IS MIKE PENCE THE ONLY PERSON WHO HASN’T READ THEIR PRS RELEAS?” DELANEY ASKED. “HE KNOWS WHAT THEY WANTED TO DO.”PENCE, HIMSELF, HAS A LONG, PROUD RERD OF OPPOSG GAY RIGHTS DURG HIS TENURE CONGRS.IT ALSO ISN’T THE FIRST TIME HE RRIED TO THE ERNOR’S MANSN, WHERE HAS HAD SOME PRETTY EMBARRASSG RULTS.A PH FOR A NSTUTNAL BAN ON GAY MARRIAGE INDIANA END FAILURE BUT ONLY AFTER THE PENCE TEAM TRIED TO CENSOR THE OPPOSN.WHEN GAY-MARRIAGE PROPONENTS POSTED THEIR DISPLEASURE WH THE MEASURE ON FACEBOOK, PENCE’S STAFF SIMPLY LETED THE MSAG.INIALLY, PENCE AND HIS STAFF SAID THEY JT LETED MENTS THAT WERE OBSCENE— BUT LATER FSED UP TO REMOVG ONLY THE MENTS THAT DISAGREED WH THE ERNOR’S POSN.“ON REFUL REVIEW, APPEARS THAT THIS WAS NOT ALWAYS THE SE AND SOME MENTS WERE BEG LETED SIMPLY BEE THEY EXPRSED DISAGREEMENT WH MY POSN. I REGRET THAT THIS OCCURRED AND SCERELY APOLOGIZE TO ALL THOSE WHO WERE AFFECTED,” PENCE WROTE A FACEBOOK POST AT THE TIME.ADDG SULT TO JURY THE MEASURE FAILED, GIVG PENCE A BLACK EYE JT A YEAR TO HIS ERNORSHIP.THIS IS A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT RPONSE THAN PENCE WAS ED TO DURG HIS TIME WASHGTON.AS A MEMBER OF CONGRS HE HAD NO PROBLEM OPPOSG RIGHTS FOR THE LGBT MUNY.HE VOTED FOR A NSTUTNAL AMENDMENT TO BAN GAY MARRIAGE AND AGAST THE EMPLOYMENT NON-DISCRIMATN ACT, WHICH WOULD HAVE ADD LGBT AS A PROTECTED GROUP ON THE FERAL LEVEL OM DISCRIMATN THE WORKPLACE.WHEN THE FERAL AMENDMENT TO BAN GAY MARRIAGE FAILED TO PASS THE HOE 2006, PENCE PROCLAIMED A “SUCCSFUL FAILURE.”“WE POURED A LTLE MORE NCRETE THE FOOTGS OF A BUILDG THAT WILL BE BUILT,” PENCE SAID AT THE TIME, ACRDG TO THE ASSOCIATED PRS.HE WAS LD AS A HERO BY THE RIGHT FOR HIS POSNS ON SOCIAL ISSU—RECEIVG MULTIPLE “TE BLUE” AWARDS OM THE FAY REARCH COUNCIL FOR “HIS MMENT TO THE FAY AND SANCTY OF HUMAN LIFE.”THE INDIANA FAY INSTUTE, WHICH WAS STMENTAL CRAFTG THE RFRA BILL, HAS LIKEWISE AWARD HIM THE “FRIEND OF THE FAY AWARD.”BUT BEG A CULTURE WARRR AS ERNOR, AS HE HAS FOUND OUT, HAS HIGHER STAK.“HE ULD AFFORD TO BE A CULTURE WARRR BEE WASN’T IMPACTG AN ENTIRE STATE’S ENOMY,” DEATON SAID, REFERRG TO THE BURGEONG “BOYTT INDIANA” MPAIGN. “AND NOW HE HAS A DIFFERENT BURN ON HIS SHOULRS AND THIS IS TURNG OUT TO ST THE STATE TENS OF LNS OF DOLLARS ON THE BOTTOM LE, THOANDS OF JOBS. THIS IS REALLY PROBLEMATIC FOR A ERNOR.” JACKIE KUCICH

MIKE PENCE ARGUED HOMOSEXUALY WAS ‘A CHOICE’ OR ‘LEARNED BEHAVR’ DURG 1990S FIGHT AGAST GAY RIGHTS ORDANCE

After cricism om the bs muny, Pence signed an amendment to the law tend to protect gays and lbians. Read More: Donald Tmp Nam Veep Pick on Twter Here are some of the statements and posns Pence had has related to LGBT issu: He said gay upl signaled ‘societal llapse’ In 2006, as head of the Republin Study Commtee, a group of the 100 most-nservative Hoe members, Pence rose support of a nstutnal amendment that would have fed marriage as between a man and a woman. ” Pence also lled beg gay a choice and said keepg gays om marryg was not discrimatn, but an enforcement of “God’s ia.

Read More: Why Donald Tmp Picked Mike Pence as Runng Mate He opposed the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Pence favored the longtime ary policy of not lettg soldiers openly intify as gay.

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT GOV. MIKE PENCE'S POSN ON GAY RIGHTS OVER THE YEARS

Vice Print Mike Pence once argued that homosexualy was a choice durg his fight the early 1990s agast lol efforts Indiana to ban discrimatn based on sexual orientatn.

Pence’s opposn to LGBT equaly has long drawn the srn of gay rights activists and ma him a champn of the Relig Right.

DID MIKE PENCE SUPPORT 'GAY CONVERSN' THERAPY?

But scty of Pence’s rerd on LGBT issu tensified recently when Whe Hoe Deputy prs secretary Judd Deere suggted last week a tweet that the vice print wasn’t anti-gay bee he was havg lunch wh the Irish prime mister, who is gay, and his partner durg a state vis.

The ltle-explored episo the 1990s, unearthed lol newspaper clippgs durg a eper KFile review of Pence’s rerd on LGBT issu, highlights an early wdow to the now-vice print’s public activism and views opposn of gay rights. Pence argued the 1990s that, unlike protectns for Ain Amerins, homosexuals choose or learn to be gay and was part of a “grassroots-generated movement for regnn of homosexual rights” natnwi. “Once you intify homosexuals as a mory, then by fn they would need to be afford nstutnal protectn, ” Pence add.

NCAA ‘NCERNED’ OVER INDIANA LAW THAT ALLOWS BIZ TO REJECT GAYS

I do not choose whether I am a black Amerin … the great vast majory of the psychologil muny says homosexualy at a very mimum is a choice by the dividual, and at the maximum, is a learned behavr. The Amerin Psychologil Associatn said 1992 that data did not support the view that homosexualy was a choice and studi at the time the 1990s suggted homosexualy was blogil and geic.

INDIANA GOVERNOR: LAWMAKERS TO 'CLARIFY' ANTI-GAY LAW

The arguments ma the 1990s by Pence would echo those he later emphasized when he ran for Congrs 2000 when his platform protted extendg civil rights protectns to gay Amerins.

But the 1990s ments show for the first time Pence llg homosexualy a choice and offer a clearer view to Pence’s view on gay Amerins at the time.

INDIANA REPUBLINS WERE WARNED ABOUT THEIR ANTI-GAY BILLOOPSINSIRS SAY MIKE PENCE WAS TOLD ABOUT AMENDMENTS TO STRENGTHEN LGBT PROTECTN BEFORE HE SIGNED THE BILL TO LAW. NOW HE’S TRYG TO “FIX” WHAT HE BROKE.JACKIE KUCICHUPDATED APR. 14, 2017 11:56AM EDT / PUBLISHED MAR. 31, 2015 1:20PM EDT NATHAN CHUTE/RTERSGOVERNOR MIKE PENCE PROMISED TUDAY TO “FIX” A NTROVERSIAL LAW WH ANTI-GAY UNRTON AN ATTEMPT TO STOP THE NSTANT HAMMERG THE STATE HAS RECEIVED SCE HE SIGNED THE RELIG FREEDOM RTORATN ACT TO LAW LAST WEEK.“I DON’T BELIEVE FOR A MUTE THAT WAS THE TENTN OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO CREATE A LICENSE TO DISCRIMATE OR RIGHT TO NY SERVIC TO GAYS, LBIANS OR ANYONE ELSE THE STATE, AND CERTALY WASN’T MY TENT, BUT I N APPRECIATE THAT HAS BEE THE PERCEPTN,” PENCE SAID.BUT ADVOT FOR CHANG TO THE LAW SAID IF PENCE DIDN’T KNOW THIS WOULD TURN TO A PUBLIC-RELATNS DUMPSTER FIRE, HE WAS EHER WILLFULLY IGNORANT OR SIMPLY DIDN’T RE.GAY-RIGHTS ADVOT SAID THEY FLAGGED THE PROBLEM WH THE LACK OF PROTECTIVE LANGUAGE EARLY THE PROCS AND PHED MOR AMENDMENTS TO THE BILL, THEY SAY, WOULD HAVE LARGELY ROLVED THE ISSUE. IT IS UNCLEAR WHETHER PENCE HIMSELF KNEW ABOUT THE AMENDMENTS, BUT TWO PEOPLE FAIAR WH THE LOBBYG EFFORT BEHD THE MEASUR PRO-LGBT MEASUR SAID WAS CLEAR VERY EARLY THE PROCS THAT THE ERNOR DID NOT WANT ANY CHANG TO THE BILL.“PENCE AND HIS PARTY SISTED THAT THE BILL NOT BE BALANCED,” SAID INDIANA REPRENTATIVE ED DELANEY, A DEMOCRAT AND THE THOR OF AN AMENDMENT THAT WOULD HAVE ADD THE SENTENCE “THE PROTECTN OF CIVIL RIGHTS; OR THE PREVENTN OF DISCRIMATN; IS A PELLG ERNMENT TERT” TO THE BILL.DELANEY SAID PENCE’S OFFICE EHER DIDN’T KNOW OR DIDN’T RE ABOUT THE AMENDMENTS.“HE’S CREATED THIS PROBLEM,” DELANEY SAID.ANOTHER AMENDMENT WOULD HAVE EXEMPTED CIVIL RIGHTS LAWS OM RFRA—A CHANGE MOLED AFTER SIAR LAWS MISSOURI AND TEXAS. (INDIANA’S CIVIL RIGHTS LAWS DO NOT PROTECT LGBT DIVIDUALS—BUT SEVERAL LOL MUNICIPALI, LIKE INDIANAPOLIS, HAVE LAWS ON THE BOOKS THAT EXTEND CIVIL RIGHTS PROTECTNS TO THE LGBT MUNY).BOTH AMENDMENTS WERE REJECTED BY THE REPUBLIN-LED INDIANA LEGISLATURE.PENCE’S RETREAT—JT SUNDAY HE SAID THE LAW WOULD NOT BE CHANGED—SIGNIFIED THAT INDIANA’S CULTURE WARRR HAD, ONCE AGA, B OFF MORE THAN HE ULD CHEW.AS THE UPROAR STARTED, PENCE STAFF THOUGHT THE ISSUE WOULD FA, ACRDG TO A SOURCE LAST WEEK FAIAR WH A NVERSATN BETWEEN PENCE AND HIS AIS. SO WHILE PENCE EXPRSED SURPRISE AT THE VRL CREATED BY THE LAW, LGBT ADVOT SAID HE SHOULD HAVE SEEN G.“THERE IS NO SURPRISE THIS,” DALE CARPENTER, A NSTUTNAL AND CIVIL LIBERTI LAW PROFSOR AT THE UNIVERSY OF MNOTA LAW SCHOOL.“THEY CHOSE TO REJECT THOSE CHANG THE MTEE AND AGA ON THE HOE FLOOR THAT SUGGTS TO BE THE LEGISLATIVE TENT HERE IS TO ALLOW RELIG EEDOM TO IMPACT ANTI-DISCRIMATN LAWS,” SAID TYLER DEATON, SENR ADVISOR AT AMERIN UNY FUND, A PRO-GAY NSERVATIVE GROUP.PENCE SISTED AN UNCHARACTERISTILLY FENSIVE TERVIEW ON THIS WEEK LAST SUNDAY THE BILL WAS ABOUT RELIG LIBERTY, NOT DISCRIMATN.“THERE’S BEEN SHAMELS RHETORIC ABOUT MY STATE AND ABOUT THIS LAW AND ABOUT S TENTN ALL OVER THE INTER,” HE SAID. “PEOPLE ARE TRYG TO MAKE ABOUT ONE PARTICULAR ISSUE.”“SHAMELS RHETORIC” ASI, THERE ARE PLENTY OF REASONS TO BE SKEPTIL OF PENCE’S EXPLANATN, STARTG WH THE ACTUAL SIGNG OF THE BILL.AND HAD EVERYTHG TO DO WH THE “PARTICULAR ISSUE.”IN A PHOTO OF THE PRIVATE SIGNG CEREMONY, PENCE IS SURROUND BY A SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE—CLUDG THE THREE WISE MEN OF THE ANTI-GAY MARRIAGE MOVEMENT OF INDIANA: MIH CLARK, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE AMERIN FAY ASSOCIATN OF INDIANA; CURT SMH, PRINT OF THE INDIANA FAY INSTUTE; AND ERIC MILLER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ADVANCE AMERI.DELANEY SAID THE PRENCE OF THOSE DIVIDUALS AT THE SIGNG CEREMONY SPOKE VOLUM ABOUT THE TENT OF THE LAW.“IS MIKE PENCE THE ONLY PERSON WHO HASN’T READ THEIR PRS RELEAS?” DELANEY ASKED. “HE KNOWS WHAT THEY WANTED TO DO.”PENCE, HIMSELF, HAS A LONG, PROUD RERD OF OPPOSG GAY RIGHTS DURG HIS TENURE CONGRS.IT ALSO ISN’T THE FIRST TIME HE RRIED TO THE ERNOR’S MANSN, WHERE HAS HAD SOME PRETTY EMBARRASSG RULTS.A PH FOR A NSTUTNAL BAN ON GAY MARRIAGE INDIANA END FAILURE BUT ONLY AFTER THE PENCE TEAM TRIED TO CENSOR THE OPPOSN.WHEN GAY-MARRIAGE PROPONENTS POSTED THEIR DISPLEASURE WH THE MEASURE ON FACEBOOK, PENCE’S STAFF SIMPLY LETED THE MSAG.INIALLY, PENCE AND HIS STAFF SAID THEY JT LETED MENTS THAT WERE OBSCENE— BUT LATER FSED UP TO REMOVG ONLY THE MENTS THAT DISAGREED WH THE ERNOR’S POSN.“ON REFUL REVIEW, APPEARS THAT THIS WAS NOT ALWAYS THE SE AND SOME MENTS WERE BEG LETED SIMPLY BEE THEY EXPRSED DISAGREEMENT WH MY POSN. I REGRET THAT THIS OCCURRED AND SCERELY APOLOGIZE TO ALL THOSE WHO WERE AFFECTED,” PENCE WROTE A FACEBOOK POST AT THE TIME.ADDG SULT TO JURY THE MEASURE FAILED, GIVG PENCE A BLACK EYE JT A YEAR TO HIS ERNORSHIP.THIS IS A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT RPONSE THAN PENCE WAS ED TO DURG HIS TIME WASHGTON.AS A MEMBER OF CONGRS HE HAD NO PROBLEM OPPOSG RIGHTS FOR THE LGBT MUNY.HE VOTED FOR A NSTUTNAL AMENDMENT TO BAN GAY MARRIAGE AND AGAST THE EMPLOYMENT NON-DISCRIMATN ACT, WHICH WOULD HAVE ADD LGBT AS A PROTECTED GROUP ON THE FERAL LEVEL OM DISCRIMATN THE WORKPLACE.WHEN THE FERAL AMENDMENT TO BAN GAY MARRIAGE FAILED TO PASS THE HOE 2006, PENCE PROCLAIMED A “SUCCSFUL FAILURE.”“WE POURED A LTLE MORE NCRETE THE FOOTGS OF A BUILDG THAT WILL BE BUILT,” PENCE SAID AT THE TIME, ACRDG TO THE ASSOCIATED PRS.HE WAS LD AS A HERO BY THE RIGHT FOR HIS POSNS ON SOCIAL ISSU—RECEIVG MULTIPLE “TE BLUE” AWARDS OM THE FAY REARCH COUNCIL FOR “HIS MMENT TO THE FAY AND SANCTY OF HUMAN LIFE.”THE INDIANA FAY INSTUTE, WHICH WAS STMENTAL CRAFTG THE RFRA BILL, HAS LIKEWISE AWARD HIM THE “FRIEND OF THE FAY AWARD.”BUT BEG A CULTURE WARRR AS ERNOR, AS HE HAS FOUND OUT, HAS HIGHER STAK.“HE ULD AFFORD TO BE A CULTURE WARRR BEE WASN’T IMPACTG AN ENTIRE STATE’S ENOMY,” DEATON SAID, REFERRG TO THE BURGEONG “BOYTT INDIANA” MPAIGN. “AND NOW HE HAS A DIFFERENT BURN ON HIS SHOULRS AND THIS IS TURNG OUT TO ST THE STATE TENS OF LNS OF DOLLARS ON THE BOTTOM LE, THOANDS OF JOBS. THIS IS REALLY PROBLEMATIC FOR A ERNOR.” JACKIE KUCICH

Dignatg gay Amerins worthy of such protectns unr the law, Pence said, would open “a Pandora’s Box of legal rights and legal difficulti” and was part of grassroots movements by gay activists for creasg their rights. In September 1992, Lafayette, Indiana, first proposed addg homosexualy to s non-discrimatn ordance.

The ordance, which featured exemptns for church and church-affiliated groups, would give a group of ne people appoted by the mayor the abily to vtigate and mediate discrimatn plats agast homosexual or bi-sexual rints hog, public acmodatns, and employment. Public opn polls the US at the time were equally divid over whether homosexualy should be accepted by society and many of the ballot iativ 1992 aimed at nouncg homosexualy or repealg measur that protected homosexuals om discrimatn had mixed rults.

Bill Clton would be elected that year mpaigng on endg the ban on homosexuals servg the ary. Pence argued the issue of gay rights would bee one of the most important issu of the 1990s.