Mike Pence, the current vice president and one of the country’s most notoriously anti-LGBTQ politicians, is scheduled to lead the U.S. Olympic delegation at the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
It’s a decision that’s not sitting well — to say the least — with Adam Rippon, the first openly gay man to qualify for the U.S. Winter Olympics team. Rippon made the team on Jan. 7.
In an interview with USA Today, Rippon said, “You mean Mike Pence, the same Mike Pence that funded gay conversion therapy? I’m not buying it.”
Yes, that Mike Pence. Conversation therapy, or “pray away the gay” therapy, is a much-derided practice based that has been banned in nine states and condemned by both the American Medical Association and the American Psychological Association. The assertion that Pence supports it stems from his 2000 run for a seat in the House of Representatives in which his official position was: “Resources should be directed toward those institutions which provide assistance to those seeking to change their sexual behavior.” He also advocated stripping funding from organizations that “celebrate and encourage the types of behaviors that facilitate the spreading of the HIV virus.”
In that same campaign document, Pence also came out against marriage equality, stating, “Congress should oppose any effort to put gay and lesbian relationships on an equal legal status with heterosexual marriage.”
[quote position="full" is_quote="true"]I wouldn’t go out of my way to meet somebody like that.[/quote]
After being named Trump’s running mate, Pence’s spokesperson denied that he had been referring to conversion therapy. Instead, as Pence told The New York Times he merely meant that the federal government should encourage safe sexual practices — though the spokesperson failed to cite any specific organizations that Pence believed should receive or lose federal funding.
Rippon also questioned how a devout Christian like Pence could overlook Trump’s behavior that openly seems to contradict the tenets of Christianity. Further, he said he’d be loath to spend time prior to the competition with someone like Pence, who has expressed views that Rippon’s sexual orientation is a sign of being “sick,” adding, “I wouldn’t go out of my way to meet somebody like that.”
That said, if Pence was willing to meet following the competition, Rippon would be happy to sit down for a friendly chat and hopefully dispel a few retrograde myths:
“He seems more mild-mannered than Donald Trump. … But I don’t think the current administration represents the values that I was taught growing up. Mike Pence doesn’t stand for anything that I really believe in.”
In a statement, the vice president’s office reiterated that he was proud to have been selected as lead delegate, but with regards to Rippon’s comments about conversion therapy, he repeated his past denials. “This accusation is totally false and has no basis in fact. Despite these misinformed claims, the vice president will be enthusiastically supporting all the U.S. athletes competing next month in Pyeongchang,” the statement read.
Even if you’re willing to give Pence the benefit of the doubt, it’s far from the only instance where he backed anti-LGBTQ policies. In 2006, he railed against marriage equality, stating that allowing homosexual couples equal rights would lead to doom. “Societal collapse was always brought about following an advent of the deterioration of marriage and family,” he said. Naturally, Pence also has stated he believes that homosexuality is a choice. When President Obama planned to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the Bill Clinton-era directive that barred openly gay people from serving in the armed forces, Pence was against the idea. Per The New Yorker, Pence’s anti-LGBTQ sentiments are so widely known that even Trump reportedly joked, “Don’t ask that guy about gay rights issues. He wants to hang them all!”
As governor of Indiana, Pence went further. Much further. As an AIDS outbreak sprung up in rural Indiana, Pence refused to allow the distribution of clean needles, despite being told by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention that it could alleviate the spread of the disease. And in 2015 he backed the Religious Freedom and Restoration Act an onerous bit of legislation that allowed private businesses to use “religious liberty” as a defense if they chose to discriminate against LGBTQ citizens. It backfired spectacularly — to the point that NCAA threatened to pull its offices out of the state if the bill became law. Faced with overwhelming public pressure, Pence caved.
Rippon has refused to retract any comments offered in Tuesday’s USA Today interview, particularly those in which he questioned the vice president’s faith.
“[F]or Mike Pence to say he’s a devout Christian man is completely contradictory,” he said. “If he’s okay with what’s being said about people and Americans and foreigners and about different countries that are being called ‘s—holes,’ I think he should really go to church.”
Say goodbye or make amends.Image via Canva - Photo by Inna Postnikova
Friends recording on a camcorder.Image via Canva - Photo by capturenow
This is an AI-generated image using the language "A beautiful woman with long eyelashes and red lips surrounded by swirls of colorful makeup." AI/Canva/Elyssa Goodman 
Wiman hiding her face behind a bunch of cashCanva
A mansion and its reflection in the swimming poolCanva
Salzburg at nightCanva
Fancy homeCanva
Happy volunteersCanva
Parents of young children get more time with them if they work from home.Photo credit: Canva
Grieving couple comforting each other
This response to someone grieving a friend might be the best internet comment ever
When someone is hit with the sudden loss of a friend or loved one, words rarely feel like enough. Yet, more than a decade ago, a wise Redditor named GSnow shared thoughts so profound they still bring comfort to grieving hearts today.
Originally posted around 2011, the now-famous reply was rediscovered when Upvoted, an official Reddit publication, featured it again to remind everyone of its enduring truth. It began as a simple plea for help: “My friend just died. I don't know what to do.”
What followed was a piece of writing that many consider one of the internet’s best comments of all time. It remains shared across social media, grief forums, and personal messages to this day because its honesty and metaphor speak to the raw reality of loss and the slow, irregular path toward healing.
Below is GSnow’s full reply, unchanged, in all its gentle, wave-crashing beauty:
Why this advice still matters
Mental health professionals and grief counselors often describe bereavement in stages or phases, but GSnow’s “wave theory” gives an image more relatable for many. Rather than a linear process, grief surges and retreats—sometimes triggered by a song, a place, or a simple morning cup of coffee.
In recent years, this metaphor has found renewed relevance. Communities on Reddit, TikTok, and grief support groups frequently reshare it to help explain the unpredictable nature of mourning.
Many readers say this analogy helps them feel less alone, giving them permission to ride each wave of grief rather than fight it.
Finding comfort in shared wisdom
Since this comment first surfaced, countless people have posted their own stories underneath it, thanking GSnow and passing the words to others facing fresh heartbreak. It’s proof that sometimes, the internet can feel like a global support group—strangers linked by shared loss and hope.
For those searching for more support today, organizations like The Dougy Center, GriefShare, and local bereavement groups offer compassionate resources. If you or someone you know is struggling with intense grief, please reach out to mental health professionals who can help navigate these deep waters.
When grief comes crashing like the ocean, remember these words—and hang on. There is life between the waves.
This article originally appeared four years ago.