Karen Pence is teaching at school that bans LGBT students

The wife of Mike Pence, has accepted a part-time role teaching art twice a week at Immanuel Christian School in Virginia. Karen Pence previously worked at there when her husband was in Congress. The private school also bars employees from engaging in sex before marriage, and from identifying as transgender.

To teach at the school, employees must sign off on a number of statements. The eight statement reads: “I understand that the term ‘marriage’ has only one meaning; the uniting of one man and one woman,” and “heterosexual activity outside of marriage (e.g., premarital sex, cohabitation, extramarital sex), homosexual or lesbian sexual activity, polygamy, transgender identity, any other violation of the unique roles of male and female” is forbidden.

Parents must sign an agreement, which is available online, stating it reserves the right to refuse admission, or remove any pupil who participates, supports, or condones: sexual immorality, homosexual activity or bisexual activity. In America, unlike public schools, private schools are not subject to employment discrimination laws. LGBT advocacy group Human Rights Campaign say that Americans in 29 states can be fired for their sexual preference.

The Pence’s have a long history of anti-LGBT views. On the Vice Presidents campaign website in 2000, he said resources should be taken from “organisations that celebrate and encourage the types of behaviours that facilitate the spreading of the HIV virus,” adding “directed toward those institutions which provide assistance to those seeking to change their sexual behaviour.”