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

Fight disinformation: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters.

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:

THE FACTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.

At least we hope they will, because that’s our approach to raising the $350,000 in online donations we need right now—during our high-stakes December fundraising push.

It’s the most important month of the year for our fundraising, with upward of 15 percent of our annual online total coming in during the final week—and there’s a lot to say about why Mother Jones’ journalism, and thus hitting that big number, matters tremendously right now.

But you told us fundraising is annoying—with the gimmicks, overwrought tone, manipulative language, and sheer volume of urgent URGENT URGENT!!! content we’re all bombarded with. It sure can be.

So we’re going to try making this as un-annoying as possible. In “Let the Facts Speak for Themselves” we give it our best shot, answering three questions that most any fundraising should try to speak to: Why us, why now, why does it matter?

The upshot? Mother Jones does journalism you don’t find elsewhere: in-depth, time-intensive, ahead-of-the-curve reporting on underreported beats. We operate on razor-thin margins in an unfathomably hard news business, and can’t afford to come up short on these online goals. And given everything, reporting like ours is vital right now.

If you can afford to part with a few bucks, please support the reporting you get from Mother Jones with a much-needed year-end donation. And please do it now, while you’re thinking about it—with fewer people paying attention to the news like you are, we need everyone with us to get there.

payment methods

THE FACTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.

At least we hope they will, because that’s our approach to raising the $350,000 in online donations we need right now—during our high-stakes December fundraising push.

It’s the most important month of the year for our fundraising, with upward of 15 percent of our annual online total coming in during the final week—and there’s a lot to say about why Mother Jones’ journalism, and thus hitting that big number, matters tremendously right now.

But you told us fundraising is annoying—with the gimmicks, overwrought tone, manipulative language, and sheer volume of urgent URGENT URGENT!!! content we’re all bombarded with. It sure can be.

So we’re going to try making this as un-annoying as possible. In “Let the Facts Speak for Themselves” we give it our best shot, answering three questions that most any fundraising should try to speak to: Why us, why now, why does it matter?

The upshot? Mother Jones does journalism you don’t find elsewhere: in-depth, time-intensive, ahead-of-the-curve reporting on underreported beats. We operate on razor-thin margins in an unfathomably hard news business, and can’t afford to come up short on these online goals. And given everything, reporting like ours is vital right now.

If you can afford to part with a few bucks, please support the reporting you get from Mother Jones with a much-needed year-end donation. And please do it now, while you’re thinking about it—with fewer people paying attention to the news like you are, we need everyone with us to get there.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate