Pulse survivor Brandon Wolf says Pence wants to put gay people in “concentration camps”
After backlash, Wolf later tweeted that he intended to say "conversion" camps
A survivor of the Pulse massacre has come under fire for saying that Vice President Mike Pence wants to put gay people in “concentration camps.”
Brandon Wolf, who runs the advocacy group The Dru Project, told MSNBC host Joy Reid that Pence becoming president would have drastic consequences for LGBTQ people.
“If Mike Pence, God bless him, ended up in the White House, sitting behind that desk in the Oval Office, he would have us all in concentration camps hoping to pray away the gay,” Wolf said. “That’s what we’re actually up against. I’ve talked about the gay agenda, and when I was growing up people were terrified of me, pushing this gay agenda. The gay agenda is to survive until tomorrow.”
Wolf came onto MSNBC to defend Reid, who is currently under scrutiny for homophobic posts that were found on her old blog, saying that the gay community should leave Reid alone and focus on criticizing the Trump administration.
“We have homophobic psychopaths running the United States government today. That’s the reality,” Wolf said. “You ask LGBT people of colour and trans women what that’s like, and they’re not that much concerned with what Joy Reid might have said 12 years ago on a blog.”
He added: “They’re worried about what’s happening right now on Pennsylvania Avenue, and they’re wondering why the media didn’t rain down a firestorm on these homophobic psychopaths who are derailing the conversation and turning back the clock on everything we worked so hard on.”
Wolf also said that newly confirmed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo “believes that gay people are sinners based on who they are” and wanted to remind LGBTQ people of the important issues.
“I guess I’m just here today to implore the viewers to stay focused on what’s actually threatening this community,” Wolf said.
After far-right outlets jumped on Wolf’s remarks about Pence, he posted on Twitter saying that he misspoke: “For the record, the word I had intended to use was ‘conversion’ camp. Freudian slip?”
“If you ask survivors of conversion therapy about their experiences… I’m not sure how far off I was,” he added.
For the record, I meant to say “conversion” camps. But if you ask survivors of conversion therapy about their experiences…I’m not sure how far off I was.
Also, it’s Sunday morning Mike Pence is still a homophobe. 🙂 https://t.co/vi8mA3MCqv
— Brandon Wolf (@bjoewolf) April 29, 2018
After his comments were picked up by the Daily Caller, Breitbart and other right-leaning websites, Wolf also wrote: “I survived my first haunt through the right wing media circuit. Initial thoughts: I thought trolls would be so much more clever.”
Support Metro Weekly’s Journalism
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
