Indiana Gov. Mike Pence signed an executive order Wednesday that bans what he called “gay colors” to be worn by boys in public elementary and secondary schools in the state.
Pence referred to pink, chartreuse, teal and magenta, in particular, as “gateway colors” for young boys who might have an inclination toward homosexuality.
“Governor Pence believes that if boys wear clothes with colors traditionally worn by young girls, this can cause gender confusion for the boy,” said Hugh Strait, a spokesman for the governor.
Pence’s announcement comes as the state prepares for Tuesday’s presidential primary.
The executive order comes as other states have passed laws that critics say discriminate against gays and LGBTs.
Pence’s executive order bans boys from wearing clothing with bright colors in public elementary and secondary schools because of a concern, he said, they act as “gateway colors.”
“There are boy colors and there are girl colors,” Pence said, “Once we started letting boys wear girl colors, what’s next? I don’t want to think about it.”
The governor’s spokesman was asked who would decide what is or is not a “gay” color.
“The governor knows a ‘gay color’ when he sees it,” Strait said.
The executive order comes several months after political conservatives criticized Frito-Lay for offering rainbow-colored Doritos — in green, blue, purple, red, and orange — to benefit a non-profit LGBT group, It Gets Better.
In late September, Mike Huckabee, then a Republican presidential candidate, called on Frito Lay to quit offering the “gay” snack food. In addition, another conservative commentator called Doritos a “gateway snack“ designed to introduce children to homosexuality.
This story absolutely must be a joke. I have never heard anything so ridiculous in my life. I didn’t realize that once we got past pink and blue of newborns that there were boy or girl colors. Now Mr. Howler probably wouldn’t wear a lavender shirt, but he is from another era.
If anyone thinks that eating rainbow doritos makes someone gay, that person has just got demons I don’t even want to think about. A Gateway snack? What an incredibly stupid statement.
Wearing clothes of a certain color also doesn’t make a person gay. What is wrong with Pence? Does he really believe his own crap or is he playing to a very ignorant base?
I thought it must have been from the Onion. But it was not – it is true. Gov Pence thinks that is a boy wears a pink shirt, it will turn him gay. Is Pence that ignorant? Is he that anti-science? No, I do not think it is either of those – I think he thinks this is a vote getter topic and that if he can show (no matter how foolish) that he is against the gay society, that he will get votes for it.
I wonder what he thinks when the NFL wears pink to support breast cancer research?
It sure doesn’t say much for the people of Indiana. Is that real Hoosier ignorance?
Regardless, it should be illegal for the chief executive of a state to determine what colors people wear.
I also thought it was from the onion. Even Snopes said it wasn’t true about 3-4 months ago.
This is a joke. Look at the governor’s spokesman’s name
Mr. Strait might be being straight.
I think this is a goof article. The author is a supposed professor of journalism, and yet the article itself flows like it was written by a 9tb grader on a school newspaper.
I wouldn’t be surprised if this turns out to be some experiment in news attachment, where they float some story to see what reaction is garnered.
The very notion that a governor can, by executive order, ban the wearing of certain colors in public school is so outrageous, it cannot be true…that and it hasn’t been referenced in any of the more conservative publications, leads me to believe that a massive troll is being perpetrated.
That’s what I thought so I called my brother who lives in Bloomington, Indiana. He was vague….
I agree, Steve. It is a preposterous notion that a governor could issue such a decree.
I want to know if Huckabee actually said that about rainbow Doritos. I confess. I didnt know there were rainbow doritos. Huckabee says some pretty dumb things though….I did find pictures of bags of gay doritos.
If you find something else out about this, let me know by all means.
Yep. 2 seconds of research, and we find this is satire: http://www.snopes.com/gay-color-ban-indiana-fake/
Which poses another question…naw…I’ll save that for later.
I saw the snopes disclaimer. I checked the dates. Snopes was a few months before this article.
Now I will say this: I haven’,t s een t he gay dori tos , bu t I have s een B.urger King’s gay whopper. Not too long ago, Burger King thought it a good business decision to “celebrate diversity and inclusion” by wrapping all of their burgers in a rainbow wrapper that clearly stated what their objective was: Acceptance of all things LGBQTXYZ. I haven’t eaten there since, and I won’t ever eat there again. I wanted a whopper, fries, and a chocolate shake…not a corporate values statement which is counter to my values. I can choose where I will eat, and in the free market there are many other choices. I have chosen not to eat at Burger King.
Are you making up the burger wrapper story?
Say it isn’t true.
A gay Whopper. Steve, I am old and have no control over sputtering when I laugh….Next thing I know you will be telling me that there is a Ronald McDonald drag queen at McDonalds.
@MoonHowler
It’s true. You laugh. I think this is just bad business. Whenever a company takes a position like this, people think it’s about “corporate values”. I’ve worked in the private sector for going on 20 years, as a corporate sales pro. When a company does something like this, it’s trying to differentiate itself from the competition. What was Burger King trying to communicate? Burger King welcomes LGBTQXYZ patrons. Where did LGBQTXYZ people go for burgers and fries before? Are they implying that MacDonald’s, Wendy’s and the like are not welcoming to LGBTQXYZ people? This is a risky and foolish proposition. I doubt this “bold move” gained them any customers that they didn’t already have, but it did cause them to lose customers…me for one. I just wanted a Whopper, fries and a shake… MacDonald’s and Wendy’s make burgers, fries and shakes too. They get my business now. Remember how I said I work in sales? I spend a lot of time on “the road”. I have a burger, fries and a shake at least twice a week…at $7.00 a visit..
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/07/01/burger-king-gay-pride-burger-parade-fast-food-gay-rights/11903861/
By the same token, I like chick filet. I have taken a ration of chicken crap over still going to them because they are anti-gay. My feeling is, the owner is entitled to his own opinion. He didn’t go out of his way to shove his opinion down others throats.. Unless I find out he is discriminating against gays as far as employment goes, I will continue to go there. I like their market salads.
I did without Dominos pizza for years because of their rather aggressive support of Operation Rescue. I have paid my boycott dues. I just want to eat my market salad in peace.
Why would I punish myself? No other fast food in the area is as polite and accurate as Chick. I don’t have to have them repeat whatever they are saying 5 times just to get a cup of coffee either. I have never had a food order screwed up. Never is a big word. I went to Taco Bell the other night. I was tired. I had a fairly large order. $6 of missing food when I got home. I was too tired to go back and fight with them. McDonalds orders are rarely accurate at my local store. The other one sort of near my house doesn’t have sugar free vanilla for my ice coffee.
I don’t care about the whopper wrappers. I might not have even noticed. I would have been busy hitting the rolaids before I ate my Whopper.
@MoonHowler
Look, I don’t care what their internal HR policies are. If they are a privately-held company, or their policies have the support of their shareholders, they can have whatever “inclusion” policies they want. If I want a burger and fries, that’s what I want. I don’t want a social statement on the wrapper, the tray-paper, or on my coffee cup. I’m paying for it. I can’t recall Chick doing anything like this in their stores. The hulabaloo was over the corporate owner saying he supports traditional marriage. If you like the food, service and atmosphere, then they’ve earned your business. Other places are usually on shaky ground to start with. The “in-your-face” wrapper at the BK in Garrisonville was the last straw for me.
Target is a different matter. I stuck with them after my data got stolen by hackers. I stuck with them when they asked Concealed Carry License holders to “please refrain from carrying in our stores”. Their dressing-room/restroom policy is the last straw. They don’t want my business, and they won’t have any more of it, which is a shame. We used to stop there every Sunday after church, and do a lot of shopping. Groceries, clothes. My ladies favorite store. I will now shop elsewhere, even on the planet of the Walmartians.
What is the dressing room/rest room policy at Target?
If I were STEVE, I would have boycotted them over the concealed weapon policy. If I were Moon, I would not have because it isn’t my issue.
I wont use most of the public bathrooms if I can help it anyway. I boycotted Home Depot years ago because the men employees were so rude to female customers. It was like you didnt exist. I once went in a computer store in Charles Town WV because I had left a cable at home and we were there for the weekend. The shop proprietor looked right past me and asked my husband what he wanted. He said ” I don’t want anything ut my wife just explained to you what SHE wanted.” We left. I don’t like being treated like I am invisible.
Just out of curiosity, have you even heard or read about any transgendered person being a sexual predator? I have not.
@MoonHowler
Moon,
I didn’t quit Target after they enacted their policy “requesting” me to go about unarmed. I just ignored their request, as they didn’t have signs clearly posted at each entrance declaring themselves a “gun free zone”.
I cannot ignore them allowing a man to use the same restroom as my nine year-old daughter, nor can I stop the man from entering, without possibly running afoul of the law. This is why I quit Target.
I expect it happens and people don’t even know it. Most trans gender people really attempt to not look like their gender of birth.
@MoonHowler
Moon, It’s not the pre-op transexual (which is the proper medical term for such individuals) who walks in, closes the stall, completes his business, washes his hands, and leaves that is the issue…although it’s still disconcerting. The real issue is the guy who “identifies” as a means to gain access for the purposes of voyeurism, or worse, physical assault. Don’t tell me opportunists aren’t taking advantage of all of this chaos to do just that. It’s happening everywhere these policies are being put in place.
Here’s an article that links to numerous news reports regarding crimes against women and children being committed by “transgenders” who are biological males.
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/04/23/twenty-stories-proving-targets-pro-transgender-bathroom-policy-danger-women-children/
Except they really aren’t transgendered people. They are pervert males. Its a crime to assault women and children, boys and men.
You can’t punish a whole subgroup of law-abiding people just because of what some pervert might do. Perhaps the transgender community should create their own check list of attributes so that the pervs could be eliminated.
I am not in favor of kids using public bathrooms unaccompanied or without a parent right outside the door anyway. Too many heterosexual pervs.
Maybe a hetero perv in the women’s room to commit nefarious acts should be made to stand on a corner in a tutu for a month, rain or shine.
@MoonHowler
So how should we separate the law-abiding from the criminal? Maybe we could have them obtain permission from the government, prior to using the restroom, and then have them submit to a background check each time they want to use a restroom in a publicly accessible place. There would be exemptions for private bathrooms, unless and until a manufactured “private bathroom loophole” could be ginned up. Of course, criminals would find a way to get in their regardless, but if transgenders want to exercise their right to relief, they should be willing to accept reasonable restrictions. Afterall, it’s for the children.
It’s hard to take them seriously with this quote
That is such a politically loaded comment that it shouldn’t even be addressed by thinking people.
I would probably just not go to the bathroom in target. In fact, I never have. If I did, I would be sure to carry my two lady knives with me to gut someone like a catfish if they tried anything I didnt like.
I just think the NC law is ridiculous and inviting challenge. Most transgendered people I have known just want to be left alone. They aren’t all itching to get into the women’s room. If it were a boy turned girl, the women’s room is safer for sure.
I think you are making the issue far more draconian than it actually is. I would be far m
more concerned over supposedly normal heterosexual men wanting to game the system than I would be over actual transgendered people.
@MoonHowler
so are you arguing that we can’t restrict the rights of peaceful, law-abiding people who just want to exercise their rights, because of the actions of a few criminals, predators, or kooks?
I am not sure what the question relates to. Discrimination isn’t law-abiding if this is where the question is going.
My brother says no such law. So, who knows.
I say it is a fake. This is worse than tellatubbies being gay or sponge bob square pants.
They got me. I doubted it at first, but did not go to Snopes – and did a quick google. I am glad that it seems to be a satire article – although there are proposals on both sides that are just as ludicrous.
Very true. I was skeptical but not entirely dismissive. I also think that Huffington Post should have identified it as satirical. Otherwise they risk becoming the anti-Fox News.
Pence did sign some draconian “religious” freedom bill. I didn’t bother to read it. That’s how people have always resisted change….saying whatever it was was against their religion. That will only work for a little while. Discrimination is discrimination.
Doritos are gender neutral. They make everybody fat.