Gay rights activists welcomed one of their fiercest foes, the staunchly conservative Vice President-elect Mike Pence, to his new home with a block party — one complete with blaring Beyoncé songs and a sea of rainbow flags.
About 200 people attended the “Queer Dance Party” Wednesday night outside of the Washington D.C. home Pence had been renting ahead of his inauguration. The protestors danced their way to the house, tossing glitter and twirling glow sticks along the way, as speakers blasted dup-beat disco and pop music.
“The idea is to leave a mark that Mike Pence will never forget,” protestor organizer Firas Nasr told the Washington Post. “We want to send a strong message to Pence that we’re a united queer community.”
Pence is known for his anti-gay policies and opinions. During his tenue as Indiana’s governor, he signed a law that allows businesses to deny service to gay, lesbian and transgender customers. The discriminatory legislation prompted so much backlash, lawmakers were forced to amend it to protect the LGBT community.
He also has voiced opposition to the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,” tried to ban same-sex marriages in Indiana and once equated homosexuality with ‘societal collapse.”
At least one protester brought his 8-month-old daughter to the colorful protest.
“I want her to grow up in a world where she can be whoever she wants and be respected for who she is,” the unidentified dad told Reuters. “And I’m concerned that some of the statements that President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect Pence have made on the campaign trails suggesting that they would not support that world.”
The protestors were not allowed to boogie directly up to Pence’s rental home, as the street was closed off for several blocks. It’s unclear if the Vice President-elect was at home during the roaring party.
In the weeks leading up to the inauguration, many of Pence’s new neighbors have flown rainbow flags in solidarity with those who oppose with anti-gay views. The dance party was meant to send the same message.
“We want to send a strong message to Pence that we’re a united queer community,” Nasr said. “We’ve always stood united. There’s always space to dance.”
