Read time:2 minute, 39 seconds

The new Alabama senator, Doug Jones asked his gay son to tag along to his swearing-in ceremony. No biggie…apart from the fact the bloke signing him in was the vehemently homophobic Vice President, Mike Pence.

It doubled Pence’s anus-twitchingly awkward job, after the surprise defeat for anti-LGBT Republican and Oval Office favourite Roy Moore in the election last month.

Carson Jones / Instagram

Trump backed Moore, though Pence had been noticeably quiet on the accused child abuser since allegations against him came to light early November.

Mike Pence seems to be uncomfortable with associating himself with alleged child abusers. He’s no problem with representing virulently cruel and bigoted views on the LGBT community though.

So Democrat Doug Jones’s gay son staring at him like death during the swearing-in must have seemed like a rather ignominious moment even to this obnoxiously noxious dinosaur.

Carson Jones is openly-gay and supported his dad throughout his successful campaign.  And that’s how Alabama’s Carson Jones came to meet Mike Pence, a good example of the worst US politics has to offer. He has opposed countless LGBT+ rights and has supported gay cure therapy.

Carson Jones gave Mike Pence serious side-eye

Carson cheekily posted the picture to Instagram with the hashtags #dougjones #swearingin #washingtondc #capitol #wemadeit #nocaptionneeded”.

One response went viral, joking: “Photo of the decade: Doug Jones being sworn in, while his openly gay son QUIETLY DISINTEGRATES THE SOUL OF MIKE PENCE.”

Pence previously suggested that HIV prevention funding be drained in order to fund state-sponsored ‘gay cure’ therapy.

In 2000, he wrote: “Congress should support the reauthorization of the [HIV funding] Ryan White Care Act only after completion of an audit to ensure that federal dollars were no longer being given to organisations that celebrate and encourage the types of behaviours that facilitate the spreading of the HIV virus.”

Carson Jones/ Instagram

While Governor of Indiana in 2015 he signed Indiana’s controversial ‘Religious Freedom Restoration Act’, giving businesses the right to discriminate against gay people on the grounds of religion.

He appeared uncomfortably unable to answer when asked whether it should be legal to fire people because of their sexuality.

LGBT activists have celebrated Doug Jones’ swearing in.

HRC President Chad Griffin said: “Thanks to hundreds of thousands of fair-minded Alabamians who rejected the politics of hate and fear, we have one more vote for equality and justice in the U.S. Senate today.

Carson Jones/ Instagram

“We look forward to working closely with Senator Jones to advance LGBTQ equality.

“Let his victory in one of the reddest of states be a lesson to politicians everywhere: if you come after our rights and attack our families, we will organize, mobilize and come after you on Election Day.”

About the author

Andy West

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Close

Latest articles