April 12, 2018

Trump’s Pick to be America’s Top Diplomat Doesn’t Think Gay Marriage Should Be Legal

CIA Director Mike Pompeo has a long record hostile to gay rights.

CIA Director Mike Pompeo (center), his wife Susan (left) and Vice President Mike Pence.Ron Sachs/CNP via ZUMA Wire

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CIA Director Mike Pompeo said Thursday during Senate hearings on his nomination to become the next Secretary of State that he stands by his earlier opposition to same sex marriage. He declined to directly answer questions about whether he thought gay sex was a “perversion.” 

Pompeo’s remarks before the Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee came under questioning from Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.). Pompeo is an evangelical Christian who has been accused of trying to weaken CIA’s diversity efforts undertaken by former Director John Brennan. During his time as a congressman from Kansas, Pompeo spoke against allowing gay service members in the military, once telling the Values Voters Summit that “we cannot use military to promote social ideas that do not reflect the values of your nation.”

After questioning Pompeo about his past anti-Muslim statements, Booker pressed Pompeo on his record on gay rights. “When I was a politician I had a very clear view on whether it was appropriate for two same-sex persons to marry. I stand by that,” Pompeo said. Booker pressed him further, citing the nominee’s past anti-gay rhetoric:

Booker: “Do you believe that gay sex is a perversion? Yes or no.” 

Pompeo: “Senator, if I can…”

Booker: “Yes or no, do you believe gay sex is a perversion? Because it’s what you said here, in one of your speeches. Yes or no, do you believe gay sex is a perversion?”

Pompeo: “Senator, I’m going to give you the same answer I just gave you previously. My respect for every individual, regardless of sexual orientation, is the same.”

Booker told Pompeo that his views were concerning because “you’re going to be Secretary of State of the United States at a time that we have an increasing hate speech and hate actions… You’re going to be representing this country and their values abroad in nations where gay individuals are under untold persecution, untold violence. Your views do matter.”

Watch the exchange below:

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WE CAME UP SHORT.

We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

So we urgently need this specific ask, what you're reading right now, to start bringing in more donations than it ever has. The reality, for these next few months and next few years, is that we have to start finding ways to grow our online supporter base in a big way—and we're optimistic we can keep making real headway by being real with you about this.

Because the bottom line: Corporations and powerful people with deep pockets will never sustain the type of journalism Mother Jones exists to do. The only investors who won’t let independent, investigative journalism down are the people who actually care about its future—you.

And we hope you might consider pitching in before moving on to whatever it is you're about to do next. We really need to see if we'll be able to raise more with this real estate on a daily basis than we have been, so we're hoping to see a promising start.

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