Vice President Mike Pence gets LGBTQ welcome during Iceland, Ireland visits
US Vice President Mike Pence went around the world with his homophobic baggage and got an LGBTQ welcome in his visits to Iceland and Ireland.
All in all, it was quite satisfying to watch him deal with the LGBTQ leader of Ireland, as well as the rainbow LGBTQ flags flying in Iceland.
US veep meets openly gay Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar
Pence flew to Dublin for a three-day visit to meet Irish leaders and had lunch with the openly gay Taoiseach (or Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar together with his partner, Dr. Matthew Barrett.
Pence is known for his views against LGBTQ rights and has opposed both equal marriage and same-sex civil unions.
Varadkar is the first openly LGBTQ person to lead the Irish government and the world’s fourth openly gay head of government.
Ruairí McKiernan, a founding member of social justice organisation Uplift and a former member of the council of state, said: “Pence’s views on LGBT rights, and his government’s record on the environment, women’s rights, and workers’ rights are dreadful.”
Poet and activist Sarah Clancy said: ““Mike Pence brings the stature and power of his office as vice president of the United States to a type of unnecessary toxic hate. In doing so he legitimizes attacks, abuse and the politics of loathing.”
Iceland rainbow flags greet Vice President Mike Pence
When Pence met with Iceland president Guðni Jóhannesson at the Höfði House in Reykjavík, he was met with a row of rainbow flags symbolic of the LGBTQ community.
Moreover, the IT company Advania, which had an office in front of the building, also had rainbow flags flying on the morning of the US vice president’s visit.
Ægir Már Þórisson, Advania’s director, told the Icelandic news website Monitor: “We just felt the need to celebrate diversity today and wanted to show that by flying the flags.”
Another office, the headquarters of the Efling trade union, also had Rainbow flags on their masts.
Justin Sink, Bloomberg’s White House correspondent, noted on Twitter that Guðni wore a rainbow bracelet when he met Pence. Eliza Reid, Iceland’s first lady, also wore a rainbow bracelet.
White House defends Vice President Mike Pence as not being homophobic
Absurdly, the White house said that Pence isn’t homophobic because he had lunch with Varadkar.
White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere said in a tweet: “For all of you who still think our VP is anti-gay, I point you to his and the SecondLady’s schedule tomorrow where they will join Taoiseach LeoVaradkar and his partner Dr. Matthew Barrett for lunch in Ireland.”
Netizens mocked Deere for his statement, with one saying: “Trump has eaten with Black people and is still racist.”
Another told Deere: “That sound you hear is millions of people rolling their eyes at you.”
“This may be the dumbest tweet out of an already incredibly pathetic comms office,” a third replied.