Highlights:
JD Vance opposed marriage equality.
JD Vance opposed efforts to protect LGBTQ people from discrimination.
The Ohio Fairness Act would have added LGBTQ people to a list of those protected from discrimination in Ohio.
The Equality Act would have expanded federal civil rights law to protect LGBTQ people from discrimination.
In 2020, the Supreme Court ruled that federal civil rights laws protected LGBTQ people from workplace discrimination.
Vance opposed the Equality Act.
Vance said he “strongly” opposed the codification of sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes in non-discrimination laws.
Vance said a Supreme Court ruling that protected LGBTQ people in the workplace was a “betrayal.”
JD Vance supported legislation to restrict LGBTQ rights.
Vance proposed anti-transgender legislation that would have jailed doctors and banned gender-affirming care-related education.
Vance repeatedly sought to restrict transgender women from participating in women’s sports.
Vance co-sponsored legislation to restrict LGBTQ inclusion efforts in government agencies and hospitals that received federal funding.
Vance applauded Florida’s anti-LGBTQ law.
The legislation, known as the “Don’t Say Gay” law, restricted discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity in schools.
Vance called opponents of the legislation “groomers.”
JD Vance vilified transgender people.
Numerous studies found that access to gender-affirming care for minors was associated with better mental health outcomes and lack of access was associated with higher rates of suicide.
Vance baselessly claimed pharmaceutical companies lobbied in favor of gender-affirming care to enrich themselves.
Vance baselessly associated transgender identity with crime.
JD Vance attacked LGBTQ people.
JD Vance attacked LGBTQ inclusion efforts.
Vance: “I Believe That Marriage Is Between One Man And One Woman” According to the Columbus Dispatch, “‘I believe that marriage is between one man and one woman, but I don't think the gay marriage issue is alive right now,’ Vance said. ‘I'm not one of these guys who's looking to try to take people's families and rip them apart.’” [Columbus Dispatch, 7/10/22]
Vance: “Marriage Is A Lifelong Union Between A Man And A Woman.” According to Vice, “When he was asked about gay marriage at a March candidate forum hosted by Toledo Right to Life, Vance said that he doesn’t like the ‘cafeteria Christianity’ of people selecting their own beliefs and said he believed that ‘marriage is a lifelong union between a man and a woman,’ before pivoting into a criticism of how divorce has become more societally acceptable.” [Vice, 7/25/22]
Vance Said He Would Vote No On The Legislation Codifying Marriage Equality. According to Mission America, “Ohio Republican Candidate for U.S. Senate, J.D. Vance, told Mission America that he would vote ‘no’ on a bill to legalize same sex marriage. We asked, ‘How would you vote if you were in the Senate at this time on the same sex marriage question?’ He replied, ‘I would vote no on that legislation,’ and believes ‘the religious liberty piece of this is very bad.”’ [Mission America, 7/26/22]
Vance Called A Bill To Protect Marriage Equality And Interracial Marriage “A Bizarre Distraction” From Other Issues. According to the Columbus Dispatch, “The bill, which passed the U.S. House last month, would require federal recognition of all marriages as long as they were deemed valid in the state they were performed. It would also repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, which defined marriage as a union between one man and one woman. Speaking to reporters at the Ohio State Fair, Vance characterized the bill as a solution in search of a problem. ‘You have a sky-high inflation crisis, you have a huge recessionary problem, and we're arguing about rights that have already been granted by the Supreme Court,’ he said. ‘It seems like a bizarre distraction for a country that actually has much, much deeper and more serious crises.’” [Columbus Dispatch, 8/2/22]
AUDIO: Vance Stated That Gay Marriage Was Not A Live Issue. According to the Bill Cunningham Show via SoundCloud, “VANCE: Well, look, again, it is one of these issues that I just don't think is a live issue. I am a Christian, Willy. You know that I'm a practicing, actually a Catholic convert. I believe that marriage is between one man and one woman, but I don't think the gay marriage issue is alive right now.” [Bill Cunningham Show via Soundcloud, 6/27/22]
Vance Said He Did Not Believe Gay Marriage Was A Current Right Up For Discussion “Right Now.” According to the Columbus Dispatch, “‘I believe that marriage is between one man and one woman, but I don't think the gay marriage issue is alive right now,’ Vance said.” [Columbus Dispatch, 7/10/22]
Vance Attacked The Ohio Fairness Act. According to Revolver News, “One of the people I’m running against is Matt Dolan, who markets himself as a traditional, pro-business conservative. He often takes potshots at me for having the temerity to suggest Republican senators ought to legislate in a way that protects the values and economic interests of Republican voters. ‘When did Republicans become the party of interfering in business?’ Of course, he supports the Fairness Act, which would make it illegal for even religiously motivated businesses to ensure their employees share the values of the company.” [Revolver News, 3/25/22]
The Ohio Fairness Act Would Have Added LGBTQ People To A List Of Those Protected From Discrimination In Ohio. According to the Ohio Capital Journal, “A bill to add LGBTQ people to the list of those protected from discrimination in the state of Ohio is once again coming to the legislature, this time with more bipartisan support. As she has done in every General Assembly since she became a senator in 2011, State Sen. Nickie Antonio, D-Lakewood, is sponsoring the Ohio Fairness Act in the Senate. Her cosponsor this time around is Sen. Michael Rulli, R-Salem.” [Ohio Capital Journal, 3/5/21]
Vance Opposed The Equality Act. According to Cleveland.com, “And when CCV hosted the Oct. 24 U.S. Senate forum at an evangelical church in suburban Columbus, Aaron Baer, the group’s leader, brought the Ohio Fairness Act and the federal Equality Act as a standalone topic before quizzing Moreno directly later in the event. ‘I think for a lot of people in this race right now, a lot of the candidates are saying very similar things,’ Baer said in an interview. ‘The question is action speaks louder than words, and I think that’s what a lot of folks are looking at in this race. And as we talk about these issues, who’s really going to stand up against the massive amount of corporate pressure and media pressure around these issues.’ In the October CCV forum, the rest of the Senate candidates criticized the federal LGBTQ non-discrimination bill, which is more expansive than the state bill, with many equating it with allowing transgender girls and women to play boys’ and men’s sports. […] ‘It’s a fundamental assault on the idea that men and women are different,’ said JD Vance, the memoirist and venture capitalist.”’ [Cleveland.com, 12/21/21]
The Equality Act Would Have Expanded Federal Civil Rights Law To Protect LGBTQ People From Discrimination. According to the Center for American Progress, “The Equality Act is a landmark piece of legislation that would expand federal civil rights laws to protect LGBTQ people from discrimination in employment, housing, credit, jury service, and federally funded programs, such as those for health and education, as well as public places and spaces.” [Center for American Progress, 3/15/21]
Vance Said He “Strongly” Disagreed That “Sexual Orientation And Gender Identity Should Be Protected Classes In Non-Discrimination Laws.” According to American Journal News, “Earlier this year, Vance responded to questions posed by the American Family Association, a Southern Poverty Law Center-designated anti-LGBTQ hate group, for its ‘iVoterGuide.’ Vance responded ‘Strongly disagree’ to the sentences ‘Sexual orientation and gender identity should be protected classes in non-discrimination laws’ and ‘Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.’” [American Journal News, 6/7/22]
In A Since-Deleted Tweet, Vance Blasted The Supreme Court Ruling That Federal Sex Discrimination Laws Protected LGBTQ Americans From Employment Bias As A “Betrayal.” According to the American Journal News, “After the conservative-leaning U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June 2020 that federal sex discrimination laws protect LGBTQ Americans from employment bias, Vance blasted the decision on Twitter: ‘The conservative legal movement has accomplished two things: libertarian political economy (enforced by judges) and betrayal of social conservatives and traditionalists.’ He has since deleted the tweet.” [American Journal News, 6/7/22]
2020: The Supreme Court Ruled That Federal Civil Rights Law Protected Gay And Transgender Workers From Workplace Discrimination. According to the New York Times, “The Supreme Court ruled on Monday that a landmark civil rights law protects gay and transgender workers from workplace discrimination, handing the movement for L.G.B.T. equality a long-sought and unexpected victory. ‘An employer who fires an individual merely for being gay or transgender defies the law,’ Justice Neil M. Gorsuch wrote for the majority in the 6-to-3 ruling. That opinion and two dissents, spanning 168 pages, touched on a host of flash points in the culture wars involving the L.G.B.T. community — bathrooms, locker rooms, sports, pronouns and religious objections to same-sex marriage. The decision, the first major case on transgender rights, came amid widespread demonstrations, some protesting violence aimed at transgender people of color.” [New York Times, 6/15/20]
2020: Washington Examiner: “J.D. Vance Blasts ‘Conservative Legal Movement’ After Supreme Court Rules For Gay And Transgender Rights In Workplace.” [Washington Examiner, 6/15/20]
Vance Complained On Twitter That “The Conservative Legal Movement” Did Not Sufficiently Oppose LGBTQ Rights. According to the Washington Examiner, “A New York Times bestselling author lashed out at the ‘conservative legal movement’ after the Supreme Court ruled that gay and transgender employees should be protected from job discrimination. J.D. Vance, whose 2016 memoir Hillbilly Elegy provided a look at poor and white working-class people in Appalachia, criticized the ruling on Monday. ‘The conservative legal movement has accomplished two things: libertarian political economy [enforced by judges] and betrayal of social conservatives and traditionalists,’ Vance tweeted.” [Washington Examiner, 6/15/20]
Vance Introduced The So-Called “Protect Children's Innocence Act” Which Classified Gender-Affirming Care On A Minor As A Class C Felony. According to a press release from Sen. Vance, “Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, issued the following news release: Senator JD Vance (R-OH) has introduced the Protect Children's Innocence Act, which would ban the genital mutilation, chemical castration, and sterilization of innocent children by classifying the performance of so-called ‘gender-affirming care’ on a minor as a Class C felony. The legislation would also cease all taxpayer funding for such actions, including under government-sponsored healthcare plans of the Affordable Care Act, prohibit institutions of higher education from providing instruction on ‘gender-affirming care,’ and would deem aliens who have performed ‘gender-affirming care’ on a minor ineligible to receive visas or admittance to the United States.” [Sen. Vance Press Release, 7/19/23]
Vance’s Bill Would Have Banned Gender-Affirming Care For Minors Nationally, Charged Doctors With A Felony If They Violated It, And Banned Gender-Affirming Instruction At Higher Education Facilities. According to NBC News, “HRC and GLAAD noted that Vance introduced a bill last year called the Protect Children’s Innocence Act, which would have banned transition-related medical care, including puberty blockers, hormone therapy and operations, for minors nationally. The bill, which was never taken up in committee, would have charged health care providers who violated it with a class C felony, which is punishable by up to 15 years in prison, and also would have banned institutions of higher education and accrediting entities from providing instruction about gender-affirming care.” [NBC News, 7/16/24]
2024: Vance Voted To Prohibit Educational Institutions That Allow Trans Women To Compete In Athletic Programs For Girls And Women From Receiving Funding. In March 2024, Vance voted against, according to Congressional Quarterly, the “motion to table Tuberville, R-Ala., amendment no. 1781 that would prohibit funds under the bill from being used by a state, local educational agency or higher education institution that permits a trans woman to participate in an athletic program or activity for girls or women.” The vote was on the motion to table. The Senate agreed to the motion by a vote of 51 to 47. [Senate Vote 108, 3/23/24; Congressional Quarterly, 3/23/24; Congressional Actions, H.R. 2882]
AUDIO: Vance Argued In Favor Of Changing Title IX “So That Biological Males Can’t Compete In Girls Sports, Really Destroys The Entire Enterprise Of Girls Sports.” According to the Eric Metaxas Show via Soundcloud, “VANCE: Yeah, the simple thing we have to do is actually change Title IX so that biological males can't compete in girls’ sports. It really destroys the entire enterprise of girls’ sports.” [Eric Metaxas Show via Soundcloud, 3/24/22]
Vance Signed A “Big Family” Pledge To “-Defend Girls’ Sports –Protect Kids From Experimental Gender Procedures –Get Rid Of CRT In Schools –Safeguard Children From Explicit Content –Defend LIFE.” According to Vance’s Twitter account, “NEW: @JDVance1 takes the @approject Big Family pledge #OHSen As Senator, JD will actively support efforts to: Defend girls' sports Protect kids from experimental gender procedures Get rid of CRT in schools Safeguard children from explicit content Defend LIFE.” [Twitter, @JDVancePress, 3/7/22]
118th Congress: Vance Co-Sponsored The Protecting Conscience in Our Health Care Act. [S.2797, Co-Sponsors, accessed 7/17/24]
The Legislation Would Have Banned Government Agencies And Federally Funded Hospitals From Supporting LGBTQ Inclusion Efforts. According to Fox News, “Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio introduced legislation Wednesday that would ban government agencies and federally funded hospitals from forcing employees to partake in programs that ‘promote radical gender ideology.’ ‘It is deeply disturbing to see the progressive left infiltrate the American healthcare system and compromise the quality of patient care in the process. I am introducing the Protecting Conscience in Healthcare Act to stop this harmful, radical gender ideology in American hospitals and healthcare facilities,’ Rubio said in comment on the legislation, which was exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital.” [Fox News, 9/13/23]
Vance Agreed With Tucker Carlson After Carlson Advocated For Fathers Of Students To Inflict Violence Upon Teachers Whom He Claimed Were “Pushing Sex Values” On Children. According to the Daily Beast, “Tucker Carlson on Friday suggested that fathers of students should inflict violence upon teachers whom he claims are ‘pushing sex values’ on them. The Fox News host spoke with Ohio GOP Senate candidate JD Vance about how, as he put it, President Joe Biden ‘wants to determine what your kids learn about the deepest and most important issues there are.’ Biden, he added, is therefore aiming for ‘control over your family, and your values, and your beliefs.’ […] In response to Carlson, Vance criticized the ‘crazy lunatics’ he deems responsible for the hypothetical scenario the Fox News host described. ‘I mean I agree with you [that] there should be a ton of pushback. I’m the father of three young kids and I would get enraged if I found out this was happening at my kids’ school,’ Vance said. ‘One of the things we’re learning, Tucker, is that this is being forced by some of these really radical teachers and they’re hiding it from the parents. That’s maybe the most pernicious part.”’ [Daily Beast, 4/8/22]
AUDIO: Vance Called Florida’s Anti-LGBTQ Law “A Pretty Common-Sense Piece Of Legislation.” According to the Charlie Kirk Show via SoundCloud, “KIRK: Let’s start with this grooming topic. You’ve been unafraid to talk about it. It seems like a lot of Republicans are running to the hills. What do you have to say about this, this issue of the government coming in and saying that we shouldn't teach children, you know, sexual education and the backlash from the left? What are your thoughts on this? VANCE: Well, it's really weird, right? I mean, these people get very sensitive over the accusation that they're groomers. And at the same time, they react like complete lunatics. When you pass a pretty common-sense piece of legislation that says that you shouldn't sexualize children. And we're not even talking about all children, right? It's a very narrow bill from K to three. And I think you shouldn't be talking to kids about sexuality and gender theory at all. But this is like super young kids from K to three. And I always say these people like, Look, if you don't want to be called a groomer, don't take this very common sense, moderate, frankly, Florida bill and act like it's the end of the world. You know, some of the stuff that's happening out there, it was just like, five years ago, Charlie, I would have said, this is a crazy conspiracy theory. There's no way this happening in our country. I saw today that in New Jersey, they're, they're in their state curriculum actually going to start teaching second graders about gender identity and sexuality. And this is crazy.” [Charlie Kirk Show via SoundCloud, 4/8/22]
The “Don’t Say Gay” Bill Banned Public School Teachers From Discussing Sexual Orientation Or Gender Identity From Kindergarten Through Third Grade. According to NPR, “Public school teachers in Florida are banned from holding classroom instruction about sexual orientation or gender identity after Florida’s Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, signed the controversial ‘Parental Rights in Education’ bill. The bill, which some opponents have called ‘Don’t Say Gay,’ was signed by DeSantis on Monday. It reads, ‘Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.’” [NPR, 3/28/22]
The Bill Required Parents To Be Notified If Their Children Were Offered Health Or Support Services In School And Allowed Parents To Deny Such Services On Behalf Of Them. According to NPR, “The group also critiqued the policy’s parental notification requirements. The law requires parents to be the first to be notified of any health or support services offered to their kids in school and allows them the chance to deny those services on behalf of their children.” [NPR, 3/28/22]
The Bill Was Unclear Whether A LGBTQ Teacher Could Be Seen As A Violation Of The Bill For Any Discussion Related To Their Personal Life. According to the Washington Post, “‘It begs the question of whether a teacher having a picture of a partner on their desk, or being asked to be referred to as Mr. or Mrs., if that counts as classroom instruction on gender identity,’ said Brandon Wolf, with the LGBTQ advocacy group Equality Florida.” [Washington Post, 4/22/22]
Vance Tweeted: “I’ll Stop Calling People ‘Groomers’ When They Stop Freaking Out About Bills That Prevent The Sexualization Of My Children.” JD Vance tweeted, “I'll stop calling people ‘groomers’ when they stop freaking out about bills that prevent the sexualization of my children.” [Twitter, @JDVance1, 4/6/22]
Vance Said That Anyone Who Supported Gender-Affirming Housing In Prisons Needed To Get Their “Head Examined.” According to Vance’s Twitter, “This line of questioning from @tedcruz is so revealing. If your ideology tells you to allow 6’2 men who are serial rapists to go to a women’s prison then you need your head examined.” [Twitter, @JDVance1, 5/25/24]
Vance Said That Transgender Visibility Day Was “Insulting To Christians.” According to Vance’s Twitter, “Aside from being disgraceful and insulting to Christians, declaring a trans day of visibility on Easter Sunday is just *weird.* The White House should apologize. Then Biden should fire whoever is responsible.” [Twitter, @JDVance1, 3/30/24]
VIDEO: Vance Claimed That Gender-Affirming Cares For Minors Led To “Increased Suicide Rates” And “Confusion Among Kids.” According to the National Conservatism Conference via YouTube, “VANCE: A paper came out suggesting that gender transition surgeries and hormonal therapies for adolescents who were experiencing gender dysphoria was, in fact good for our society, that the people who underwent these treatments were benefited and various mental health ways. They had lower anxiety, lower risk of suicidal ideation, and so forth. But what was obvious at the time to people like Michael Regnerus was that the data on which this study was based was ridiculous. Now, of course, the mainstream press and all of our elite institutions reproduced this information as if it was the gospel truth. And yet there were a few courageous souls who said the data on which this study is based is fundamentally ridiculous. In fact, if you look at the data produced by the, the people who created the study, what it found is that there was no benefit to gender-reassignment surgery. There was no benefit to hormonal therapy for adolescents. Indeed, the risk of suicidal ideation and the risk of mental health problems actually went up if you looked at the data seriously and honestly. Now, the people who called this out at the very beginning were, of course, called homophobic, transphobic, they were deplorable, they were unacceptable in our modern society. And yet, the institutions that are theoretically dedicated to the transmission of truth and knowledge held this up as the gospel truth, even as it was a lie. And it was not just a lie, it was a lie that led to increased suicide rates among our young girls and increased confusion among kids all across our country.” [National Conservatism Conference via YouTube, 11/10/21]
Vance Equated “Gender Affirming” Care To “Mental Health Problems.” According to Vance’s Twitter, “This is extraordinary testimony about how we’re medicalizing mental health problems under the euphemism of ‘gender affirming’ care. I’ve introduced legislation that would stop this practice. As a society we need to come to our senses.” [Twitter, @JDVance1, 11/28/23]
AUDIO: Vance Argued That “Woke Progressivism” Was “Very Evil” Because It “Is Objectively Leading To Increase Suicide Rates To Confuse Nine-Year-Old Girls About Their Gender.” According to the Chris Buskirk Show via SoundCloud, “VANCE: But let me just offer one other thought on this, right? So, so the problem with like woke progressivism, in my view, the most obvious one is that it's wrong and sometimes very evil, right? Like, I think it's I think it is objectively leading to increase suicide rates to confuse nine-year-old girls about their gender.” [Chris Buskirk Show via SoundCloud, 1/7/22]
More Than A Dozen Studies Found That Access To Gender-Affirming Care For Minors Was Associated With Better Mental Health Outcomes, While Lack Of Access Was Associated With Higher Rates Of Suicide. According to Scientific American, “The truth is that data from more than a dozen studies of more than 30,000 transgender and gender-diverse young people consistently show that access to gender-affirming care is associated with better mental health outcomes—and that lack of access to such care is associated with higher rates of suicidality, depression and self-harming behavior.” [Scientific American, 5/12/22]
AUDIO: Vance Claimed Pharmaceutical Companies Were Lobbying Representatives In Favor Of Gender-Affirming Care In Order To Make “Those Pharmaceutical Companies Very Wealthy.” According to Always Right Radio via SoundCloud, “VANCE: One thing that's really disgusting and vile about this whole trans moment that nobody's talking about is that the pharmaceutical companies are lobbying the medical industry, the medical accreditation board, and also our own state legislatures, to effectively allow experimentation on young children in a way that makes those pharmaceutical companies very wealthy. This is the thing that not enough people talk about, that when nine-year-olds are given hormonal therapies, somebody's getting rich from it, and somebody has lobbied for it. And that is a very, very dark thing. We learned anything we should be, we should be really, really cautious about the biomedical security state in this country.” [Always Right Radio via SoundCloud, 5/5/22]
AUDIO: Vance: “Democrat Policies Are Forcing Doctors To Do Gender Surgeries On Children And Hormonal Therapy On Children So The Pharma Companies Get Rich.” According to a town hall with Donald Trump Jr. via SoundCloud, “VANCE: But when you're passing legislation, when you're forcing doctors to provide care to nine-year-old kids that go against their, their, their freedom of conscience, and behind it all is a pharmaceutical lobby getting rich every single time we give hormone blockers to nine-year-old children. that is not medicine and it’s not care. It’s corruption. And it needs to stop in this country. I think the Democrats talking about being the party of working people, I come from working people, the Democrats turned their back them. But the end of the day, Democrat policies are forcing doctors to do gender surgeries on children and hormonal therapy on children so the pharma companies get rich. Ladies and gentlemen, that's not the party of working people. That's the party of evil and corruption.” [Town Hall with Donald Trump Jr. via SoundCloud, 4/20/22]
Vance Tweeted: “Remember When The Democrats’ Transgender Obsession Led To Two Girls Being Raped By A Teenaged Boy? It Was Only A Week Ago, And Of Course Our Mainstream Press Has Tried To Ignore It.” According to Vance’s Twitter, “Remember when the Democrats’ transgender obsession led to two girls being raped by a teenaged boy? It was only a week ago, and of course our mainstream press has tried to ignore it.” [Twitter, @JDVance1, 10/24/21]
Claims That An Attacker At A School Who Targeted Two Girls Was Gender-Fluid Were Denied By The Boy’s Parents And Teachers. According to the Washington Post, “A teenage girl who was sexually assaulted in a Virginia high school bathroom has sued Loudoun County Public Schools, alleging that school officials failed to heed warning signs about her attacker and responded to her May 2021 assault by trying to cover it up. The teenager, who filed the lawsuit under the pseudonym “Jane Doe” along with her parents, was 15 years old when a younger, male student in a skirt assaulted her in a girls’ bathroom at Stone Bridge High School in Ashburn on May 28, 2021. […] The teen was convicted of both attacks. His mother and teachers denied claims on the right that he was ‘gender-fluid.’ He remains in a juvenile mental health facility, according to the Stone Bridge victim’s lawsuit, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Alexandria.” [Washington Post, 10/5/23]
Vance Referred To Harvey Milk As A “Pedophile.” According to Vance’s Twitter, “Nothing in this country works. It takes years to repair a bridge that was built in far less time. Every big city has skyrocketing murder rates. China is about to take over the world even as we name Navy ships after pedophiles. And our reporters ask about the racism of our roads?” [Twitter, @JDVance1, 11/8/21]
The U.S. Navy Christened A Ship Named For The Slain Gay Rights Leader Harvey Milk, Who Served In The Navy During The Korean War But Was Discharged After Being Questioned About His Sexual Orientation. According to NPR, “The U.S. Navy has launched and christened a ship named for the slain gay rights leader Harvey Milk, who served in the Navy during the Korean War but was discharged after being questioned about his sexual orientation. […] Naming the ship after an icon of the LGBTQ rights movement represents a symbolic milestone for the military following a long history in which gay service members were unable to serve openly.” [NPR, 11/7/21]
Vance Tweeted: “Coming Up On MSNBC: Talk Of Inflation Is Violence Against The Nonbinary Community.” According to Vance’s Twitter, “Coming up on MSNBC: talk of inflation is violence against the nonbinary community.” [Twitter, @JDVance1, 7/13/22]
2024: Vance Voted Against Confirming Melissa DuBose To The U.S. District Court. In March 2024, Vance voted against, according to Congressional Quarterly, the “confirmation of President Joe Biden's nomination of Melissa R. DuBose to be a U.S. district judge for the [District of Rhode Island].” The vote was on confirmation. The Senate confirmed DuBose by a vote of 51 to 47. [Senate Vote 90, 3/12/24; Congressional Quarterly, 3/12/24; Congressional Actions, PN 1403]
DuBose Was The First Woman Of Color And Openly LGBTQ Person Confirmed To The Rhode Island District Court. According to the Advocate, “The U.S. Senate has confirmed Melissa DuBose, who is Black and lesbian, to a federal judgeship in Rhode Island, making her the first woman of color and first out LGBTQ+ person to serve on the U.S. District Court in the state.” [Advocate, 3/14/24]
2023: Vance Voted Against Confirming Casey Pitts As A U.S. District Judge For The Northern District Of California. In June 2023, according to Congressional Quarterly, Vance voted against the “confirmation of President Joe Biden's nomination of Casey Pitts to be a U.S. district judge for the Northern District of California.” The vote was on confirmation. The Senate confirmed Pitts by a vote of 53 to 46. [Senate Vote 161, 6/14/23; Congressional Quarterly, 6/14/23; Congressional Actions, PN177]
Pitts Became The First Openly Gay District Judge On The Northern District Of California. According to the Bay Area Reporter, “The U.S. Senate this month confirmed a gay man to a federal district court seat in San Francisco — marking the first time an openly gay nominee has been appointed to the district court for what is often considered the world's gayest city. It also marked the second confirmation this year of a gay federal judge in Northern California.” [Bay Area Reporter, 6/20/23]
Pitts Became The Seventh Openly LGBTQ Federal District Court Appointee Under The Biden Administration. According to the Bay Area Reporter, “Pitts' confirmation makes him the seventh openly LGBTQ federal district court appointee nominated by President Joe Biden. Former President Barack Obama had named only three LGBTQ people to federal district court seats by his second year; but he eventually named 10 in all.” [Bay Area Reporter, 6/20/23]
2023: Vance Voted Against Confirming Ana C. Reyes As A U.S. District Judge For The District Of Columbia. In February 2023, according to Congressional Quarterly, Vance voted against the “confirmation of President Biden's nomination of Ana C. Reyes to be a U.S. district judge for the District of Columbia.” The vote was on confirmation. The Senate confirmed Reyes by a vote of 51 to 47. [Senate Vote 20, 2/15/23; Congressional Quarterly, 2/15/23; Congressional Actions, PN80]
Reyes Became The First Latina And Openly LGBTQ Individual To Serve In D.C.’s Federal Court. According to Bloomberg Law, “Ana Reyes, a longtime Williams & Connolly litigator, was confirmed as the first Latina and openly LGBTQ person on the federal district court in Washington. Reyes was confirmed in a bipartisan vote, 51-47, on Wednesday nine months after her May 2022 nomination. President Joe Biden resubmitted her nomination in January after it expired at the end of last Congress.” [Bloomberg Law, 2/15/23]
2023: Vance Voted Against Confirming Gina R. Mendez-Miro As A U.S. District Judge For The District Of Puerto Rico. In February 2023, according to Congressional Quarterly, Vance voted against the “confirmation of President Joe Biden's nomination of Gina R. Mendez-Miro to be a U.S. district judge for the District of Puerto Rico.” The vote was on confirmation. The Senate confirmed Mendez-Miro by a vote of 54 to 45. [Senate Vote 11, 2/13/23; Congressional Quarterly, 2/13/23; Congressional Actions, PN79]
Mendez Miro Became The First LGBTQ Individual To Serve On Puerto Rico’s Federal Court. According to the Washington Blade, “The U.S. Senate confirmed on Tuesday the nomination of Judge Gina Méndez Miró to the federal court of the District of Puerto Rico, making her the first LGBTQ person to serve in the position on the island.” [Washington Blade, 2/15/23]
2023: Vance Voted Against Confirming Joseph Falk As A Member Of The U.S. Institute Of Peace Board Of Directors. In February 2023, according to Congressional Quarterly, Vance voted against the “confirmation of President Joe Biden's nomination of Joseph Lee Falk to be a member of the United States Institute of Peace Board of Directors.” The vote was on confirmation. The Senate confirmed Falk by a vote of 60 to 37. [Senate Vote 5, 2/2/23; Congressional Quarterly, 2/2/23; Congressional Actions, PN61]
Falk Was A Government Affairs And Public Policy Specialist And A Gay Political Activist. According to Florida Politics, “Government affairs and public policy specialist Joseph Falk — one of Miami’s best-known gay political activists — could soon be adding another board membership to his already sizable schedule of organizational responsibilities, courtesy of President Joe Biden. On Friday, Biden nominated Falk to the board of directors of the United States Institute of Peace, a national, nonpartisan institute that works with local partners in conflict zones abroad to prevent, mitigate and resolve violent conflict.” [Florida Politics, 8/1/22]
Falk Was A Member Of The LGBTQ Victory Fund And Served As Alternate Director With The Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus And Board Member And Past Chair Of SAVE, A Florida LGBTQ Group. According to Florida Politics, “Falk’s other board activities include service as the capital campaign chair of the Miami-based Frost Science Museum and a longtime membership to the national LGBTQ Victory Fund. He is also an alternate director with the Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus and a former board member and past chair of SAVE, a Florida-based LGBTQ advocacy organization. Falk received recognition for his efforts in the South Florida LGBTQ community and for social justice in March 2015, when Florida International University presented him with the Stempel Award.” [Florida Politics, 8/1/22]
Vance Tweeted: “Twitter Just Censored One Of The Most Powerful Members Of Our Legislature For Uttering A Basic Truth.” According to Vance’s Twitter, “Twitter just censored one of the most powerful members of our legislature for uttering a basic truth.” [Twitter, @JDVance1, 10/23/21]
The “Basic Truth” Vance Referred To Was Rep. Jim Banks Mocking Rachel Levine, An HHS Official Who Was Transgender. JD Vance quote tweeted, “NEW: Twitter has censored @RepJimBanks for calling HHS' Rachel Levine a man. He will be locked out of his account until he deletes the tweet, ‘The title of first female four-star officer gets taken by a man.”’ [Twitter, @JDVance1, 10/23/21]
Vance Chastised The Biden Administration For Focusing On Nonbinary People In The Military, Calling The Move “Woke Crap.” According to Vance’s, “Instead of closing the border & stopping terrorists from entering our country, Biden is focused on this stupid woke crap. Vote Trump! Fox News: Biden senior Pentagon official claims policies focused on nonbinary identities essential for national security” [Twitter, @JDVance1, 6/25/24]
In Response To The Department Of State Posting About International Pronouns Day, Vance Tweeted: “This Is Embarrassing. I’m Embarrassed To Be Represented By These People.” According to Vance’s Twitter, “This is embarrassing. I’m embarrassed to be represented by these people.” [Twitter, @JDVance1, 10/20/21]
Vance Said America’s “Ridiculous Notions Of Gender” Threatened The United States Status As “Leader Of The Free World.” According to Newsmax, “Ohio Senate candidate J.D. Vance denounced America's radical push of ‘ridiculous notions of gender’ as harmful to its position in the world. ‘I think a lot of countries look at the United States as the leader of the free world; they're not going to look at us like that if we keep on pushing ridiculous notions of gender with the children, not just here, but everywhere else too,’ Vance told The Epoch Times this week.” [Newsmax, 4/3/22]
Vance Said Target Was Waging War On Its Customers By Selling Transgender Merchandise, Adding That He Would No Longer Shop At The Store. According to Mediaite, “U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) has jumped into the far-right fray over Target by claiming the mega retailer has decided to 'wage war' on its customers by selling LGBTQ merchandise, and vowing not to shop there again. ‘Target could have decided to stay out of the culture wars, instead it decided to wage war on a large share of its customer base,’ Vance tweeted. ‘I no longer shop at Target, and it seems many families are doing the same.’ Target could have decided to stay out of the culture wars, instead it decided to wage war on a large share of its customer base. I no longer shop at Target, and it seems many families are doing the same. https://t.co/RMVseSjdqS — J.D. Vance (@JDVance1) May 26, 2023” [Mediaite, 5/26/23]
Vance Called A Disney Initiative To Add More Queer Children’s Programming, “Depraved.” According to Vance’s Twitter, “Depraved.” Quote tweet: “SCOOP: I've obtained video from inside Disney's all-hands meeting about the Florida parental rights bill, in which executive producer Latoya Raveneau says her team has implemented a ‘not-at-all-secret gay agenda’ and is regularly ‘adding queerness’ to children's programming.” [Twitter, @JDVance1, 3/29/22]
Vance Tweeted: “Only Women Can Get Pregnant. It’s Insulting To Mothers To Suggest Otherwise. And It’s Deranged To Call This Viewpoint Violence.” According to Vance’s Twitter, “Only women can get pregnant. It’s insulting to mothers to suggest otherwise. And it’s deranged to call this viewpoint violence.” [Twitter, @JDVance1, 7/12/22]