'IN Gov. Mike Pence can't answer simple question on lgbt equality' & other Thur. afternoon news briefs

Oh good grief, Gov. Mike Pence. How difficult is it to say either yes or no. It's one of those questions. 

In other news:

 Transphobic Bathroom Bill Dies in Washington State - Nice to see common sense prevailing. Unfortunately, you just know it's not over yet.  

West Virginia Lawmakers Pass Problematic ‘Religious Freedom’ Bill 72-26 - However, sanity didn't prevail everywhere.

 Georgia House passes ‘Pastor Protection Act’ - And it totally skipped Georgia. This is a needless bill. No pastor can ever be forced to perform a same-sex wedding.  

Gay teacher’s sex video stolen, posted to school site - And what happened to this teacher was wrong on all accounts.

Mrs. Ted Cruz's spooky vision of America

Heidi Cruz is as spooky as her husband, Ted.

While she doesn't mention the lgbt community, it doesn't take a palm reader to tell that GOP presidential candidate Ted Cruz's wife, Heidi, doesn't necessarily have room for us being treated fairly in her husband's vision of America as evidenced by this religious tangent she went off on during an appearance on a South Carolina radio show.  Count how many times she mentions "Christian." We get it already!

From Right Wing Watch:

Sen. Ted Cruz’s wife Heidi, who has been campaigning for her husband full-time over the past several months, explained the role of faith in the Texas Republican’s presidential campaign yesterday, telling a South Carolina radio host that Cruz is running to “show this country the face of the God that we serve.”

Transcript:

 When I thought about doing it for our country, it became very clear to me that our family must be in this race. And it also became clear to me that we are at a cultural crossroads in our country and if we can be in this race to show this country the face of the God that we serve — this Christian God that we serve is the foundation of our country, our country was built on Judeo-Christian values, we are a nation of freedom of religion, but the God of Christianity is the God of freedom, of individual liberty, of choice and of consequence. And I think that’s something that this country really needs to be reminded of, is that Christians are loving people, are nonjudgmental people, but there is right and wrong, we have a country of law and order, there are consequences to actions and we must all live peaceably in our own faiths under the Constitution. And Ted is uniquely able to deliver on that combination of the law and religion.