Following the announcement that Vice President Mike Pence would lead the United States delegation into the Olympic Opening Ceremonies, Adam Rippon-- a Team USA figure skater and the first openly gay US Winter Olympian-- said he has no interest in meeting Pence due to his anti-LGBTQ record.
Rippon referenced Pence's supposed support of gay conversion therapy in his reasoning for not wanting to meet Pence. Nick Ayers, Pence's chief of staff, said Rippon's understanding of Pence's stance on gay conversion therapy was incorrect. However, there was a statement on Pence's 2000 congressional campaign website that said "Resources should be directed toward those institutions which provide assistance to those seeking to change their sexual behavior.”
Following this exchange, Pence sent out this tweet to Rippon:
Unfortunately, in my opinion, Pence tweeting out a statement of support to Rippon does not make up for his history of pushing anti-LGBTQ legislation.
In addition to wanting resources to go to "institutions which provide assistance to those seeking to change their sexual behavior" (or as I would call it, conversion therapy), Pence also pushed in 2000 that members of he LGBTQ community should not be considered a "minority entitled to the protection of anti-discrimination laws." And just last year, Trump reportedly joked not to ask Pence his stance on gay rights, because "[Pence] wants to hang them all."
So Pence's tweet supporting Rippon? It doesn't make up for his track record.
Here are 19 situations that are the equivalent of Mike Pence supporting Adam Rippon, or situations that are, you know... just not good enough:
1. Going to the gym on January 2nd and thinking it makes up for the other 364 days of the year that you stay on your couch.
2. Going to class only for the final.
3. Putting one chocolate chip in a batch of cookie dough and calling them chocolate chip cookies.
4. Going 1-15 and calling it a winning season.
5. Saving $1 of your paycheck.
6. Learning only one letter of the alphabet in kindergarten.
7. Washing one sock out of the pair.
8. Being able to play five notes on the piano and saying you've mastered the instrument.
9. Turning in half of a research paper.
10. Saying sorry after cheating on your significant other 57 times.
11. Putting makeup on one eye.
12. That time I got 25% on my stats test.
13. Reading the first page of Moby-Dick.
14. Getting two hours of sleep before work.
15. Curling half of your hair.
16. Only working for the first hour of your shift.
17. Writing a good pilot episode of a show and a terrible rest of the season.
18. Leaving your phone on the charger long enough for it to only go up 1%.
19. Casting one black person in an otherwise white movie and calling it diversity.
Oh, and Mike Pence, if Adam Rippon doesn't want to meet you and talk it all out, you can try any of these people:
1. Johnny Weir
2. Ellen DeGeneres
3. Anderson Cooper
4. Neil Patrick Harris
5. Ellen Page
6. Rosie O'Donnell
7. Halsey
8. Sir Elton John
9. Troye Sivan
10. Jim Parsons
11. Kristen Stewart
12. Cara Delevingne
13. Tim Cook
14. Ruby Rose
15. Laverne Cox
16. George Takei
17. Sam Smith
18. Jodie Foster
19. Tom Daley
Even though none of them owe you their time, either.
