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Caitlyn Jennerhas plans to meet with Vice President Mike Pence.

I know everything thats going on and I know everybody in his and Trumps administration who are for and against, Caitlyn, 67, toldAndy Cohenduring a SiriusXM Town Hallon Wednesday. [Pence] has come up when he was governor [with] some of the most anti-LGBT issues. I know that. The American Unity Fund worked very closely to take that legislation and really get it out of there. And he came back kicking and screaming. And did sign some stuff and did better with that on that issue.

Caitlyn is headed to Washington, DC, on Thursday, but kept quiet about the details of her itinerary.

But the former Olympian, who confirmed she did attend Donald Trumps inauguration, suggested she may have a private dinner with the vice president to discuss LGBTQ issues on her schedule.

Caitlyn previously met the 57-year-old VP the day before the inauguration at a cocktail party and made plans to meet later.

I walk up looking fabulous, she recalled.Iwas introduced to him and I said, I came in a few months ago and I sat down and had a private dinner with 16, 17 evangelical Christian conservative Republicans at a private dinner, at a private home and we had a three-hour conversation on the issues on faith, on my community.'

I said, It was such a wonderful conversation. I would love to share that conversation with you,' she recalled.He looks at me and said, You know what? I would love to have that conversation.

Caitlyn, who knowsPence wont dine alone with women without his wife, Karen, made an effort to include her. I turn to his wife, who was standing right there. And I reach out and I grab her hand and I look her right in the eye and I said, I would loveto have you in on that conversation. And she looks at me and goes, Dont you worry, Ill be there.'

While the Pences continue to be known for their closeness, Caitlyn revealed that any sort of relationship she had maintained post-divorce with ex-wifeKris Jenner is finished.

She called me up and said she never wanted to talk to me again. So, I never called her back, Caitlyn said.

Caitlyn and Krishave long bickered over whether Kris was aware of Caitlyns gender identity during their relationship. Kris, 61, has denied Caitlyns claims that the Secrets of My Life author told the Kardashian matriarch about her gender issues and hasslammed her memoir as made up.

The former coupledivorced in 2014 after 23years of marriage. They are parents to Kendall, 21, and Kylie, 19.

Kris isnt the only family member currently at odds with Caitlyn.

[Khlo Kardashian] doesnt want to talk to me either, Caitlyn said. But she hasnt talked to me in like two years. Its been well documented on Keeping Up with the Kardashians that Khlo has had the most trouble with her transition.

The conversation also turned to daughter Kendall Jenners recent Pepsi fiasco, which was widely labeled tone-deaf given the current political and social climate. I saw it and I thought, That is cool,' Caitlyn said after attempting to dodge the question. It was cute. I didnt see all the things I guess some other people saw.

After the commercial was pulled, Caitlyn said she felt sorry forher model daughter.

In a sign that Caitlyns family is in turmoil, she asked Cohen one favor at the end of the interview. Tell my family I said hi, she said. Tell them I love them.

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Caitlyn Jenner planning to meet with VP Mike Pence - Page Six

In spite of what Donald Trump says in public, or thinks in his egotistical twisted mind, there is not much the majority of Americans like about him, his administration, his policies, or his kids. It is about the only good news about the state of the American peoples sensibilities these days and validating for those who cannot comport a vicious and corrupt swindler living in the White House.

For some politicians, and American citizens, opinion or popularity surveys are important. And yet despite how many polls are conducted in any given time period, all of the attention over the past year has been focused on Trump; likely because he is as unpopular as he is incompetent and corrupt. However, most opinion polls ask respondents to weigh in on more than just one policy or politician with little to no reporting on anything other than the Trump.

In one of those polls, the most recent one conducted by NBC News and the Wall Street Journal (NBC/WSJ), it was revealed that no matter how much Americans detest Donald Trump, and they do despise the con man, they dislike his vice-president Mike Pence even more. As Oliver Willis put it, in the Trump Administration, misery loves company. And according to the polls results, one can only imagine that the Trump administration is feeling incredibly miserable at the approval rating numbers for the two men at the head of the Executive Branch of government.

As far as American politicians are regarded by the people, Mike Pence ranks near the top of the list as one of the least popular politicians in the United States. In that NBC poll, only a miserable 38 percent of the respondents had a favorable opinion of Mike Pence. The number for Trumps approval in that poll is a pathetic 39 percent. Obviously, no matter the level of lies, deliberately misleading statements, saber-rattling, or so-called achievements the Trump administration boasts about the majority of the people are not fooled whatsoever.

Within that poll was an approval number that almost certainly irritated the religious extremism right out of Mike Pence more than anything he could possibly imagine; the organization he exists to eliminate, Planned Parenthood, is significantly more popular than either Pence or Trump. Planned Parenthood received a 50 percent approval rating compared to Trumps 39 and Pences 38 percent. As an aside, Planned Parenthood was number two on the popularity list behind the most popular politician in America, Barack Hussein Obama.

Whether or not there is a corollary between Pences horrifying record of trying to undermine womens health care and his unpopularity is unclear, but there is no question that the womens healthcare group is, and has been, more popular than either Pence or his religious acolytes are wont to claim. There is no question, however, that Pence has been one of the leading voices against the womens healthcare advocate and provider; so it is entirely possible that at least one of the reasons Pence is less popular than Trump is his anti-womens rights stance. A stance, by the way, that is driven solely by his extremist evangelical fundamentalism; not his particularly nasty brand of conservatism.

It was news to this author that before he was Indianas governor, Mike Pence was the first Republican in Congress to promote anti-womens legislation defunding Planned Parenthood on religious grounds. While he was governor of Indiana, he championed, and signed, myriad pieces of legislation to deny women the right to access perfectly legal abortion services. Some of the legislation, however, was even too extreme for his fellow Indiana Republicans that they were not shy about registering their opposition.

Today, possibly as a result of the Trump-Pence election victory in November, millions of Americans have registered as staunch supporters of Planned Parenthood and a womens right to choose. Many supporters who oppose abortion still support Planned Parenthood based on its mission to aid vulnerable communities (poor women) who need services like family planning, cancer screening and education on the best form of birth control. What this most recent poll revealed, is that while preacher Pence sinks to the lower tier of respect for public officials right behind anti-womens rights cretin Trump, Planned Parenthoods popularity and respect among the population is still strong and growing.

It may be the case that some of the polls respondents are aware that Pence made a big deal about breaking a tie in the Senate to eliminate Title X protections President implemented just last September. President Obamas executive order prohibited Republican-dominated theocratic legislatures from using their bastardized religion to withhold funding allotted for womens healthcare; including Planned Parenthood clinics. The vote to eliminate that simple and constitutional protection was, as many in America understood, a direct evangelical attack on Planned Parenthood and an effort to eradicate its ability to serve its patients whether male or female.

The Senate vote, and Pences rush to break a tie, came after Pence was the featured religious extremist at the annual evangelical March for Life. That vote came after Pence had told the March for Life rally attendees and Catholic-inspired anti-womens rights activists that, This administration will work with the Congress to end taxpayer funding of abortion and abortion providers. It is worth noting, for the ten-thousandth time that no taxpayer funding can go for abortions. But that is a fact religious Republicans will never accept as the truth because their intent is controlling women and relegating them to nothing more than birth machines or they would cease attacking birth control access and abortion services.

It is highly unlikely this latest polls revelation that Planned Parenthood is significantly more popular than either Pence or Trump will have an impact on religious Republicans. It is true that a sane politician would heed the message from voters that there is substantially stronger support for womens rights, and their healthcare autonomy, than the highly unpopular Trump and even more unpopular Pence, but these religious extremists are not sane. They are patriarchal Republicans driven by religious extremism, like members of ISIS, and will continue ignoring the will of the people no matter how unpopular they or their theocratic policies are. And, they are in power for at least the next three-and-a-half years regardless if Trump remains in the White House or he is replaced by the even more unpopular Mike Pence.

h/t OWillis

#fem2, choice, Mike Pence, NARAL, NBC/WSJ poll, NOW, Pence more unpopular than Trump, Planned Parenthood, Planned Parenthood more popular than Trump and Pence, trump

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Opinion: Pence More Unpopular Than Trump and Much Less Than Planned Parenthood - PoliticusUSA

With a known anti-LGBT person being the second-highest ranked U.S. official, where is America's moral authority?

Vice PresidentMike Pence speaking with supporters at a campaign rally and church service at the Living Word Bible Church in Mesa, Arizona.

Remember Vice PresidentMike Pence and his horrid beliefs on LGBT rights issues?

With other notable events taking place in the Trump Administration, Pence'sformer record as a noted anti-LGBT politician and general conservative cultural crusader has been forgotten.

In general, Pence seemed to be keeping a fairly low profile, until he recently engulfed himself in the North Korea situation.The most significant thing he has been making headlines for was beinglied to by Michael Flynnandtelling The Hill in 2002 that he never eats alone with a woman who is not his wife.

But whether you are an LGBT Devil or just a Sun Devil, there is something seriously bothersome about Pences record at the moment: the U.S.'s moral authority on the world stage in regards to LGBT rights.

Most of ASU's students are part of a new generation that differs from almost all past ones we are largely accepting of the rights of all LGBT people. But we must look beyond our campus, and we must look beyond the U.S., for we are the generation of college students that could change much of the world's inhumane stance on LGBT rights.

According to a 2016 report by The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association, there are still 73 countries worldwide that criminalize same-sex activity.

While that is down from 92 in 2006, homosexuality and other LGBT issues are still seen in many places worldwide as morally reprehensible. In 13 nations (or certain regions of these nations), same-sex behavior is punishable by death.

With Pence as vice president, we lose moral leadership on the world stage. How does havinga prominent figure in the U.S. government whoopposes the rights ofLGBT people reflect on our country? How does it influence thosenations that criminalize homosexuality?

The past month has seen multiple reports of violence against LGBT people in the Russian Federation Republic of Chechnya. More than 100 gay menare alleged to have been sent to prison camps in the country, where they have been reportedly beaten and some killed.

This week, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said she was disturbed by the allegations, saying it was a violation of human rights and calling for those who performed the actions to be held accountable. Earlier that month the State Department called for Russia to investigate the situation.

Pence has said gay couples signaled "societal collapse,"hascalled for a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman, signed a lawallowing discrimination against LGBT people under the guise of religious freedom and opposed LGBT individuals serving in the military, along with several other anti-LGBT proposals.

This isnt the person you want to have second-in-command if you want to stand up for LGBT rights abroad.

Maria Sjdinis the deputy executive director of OutRight Action International, an LGBT rights group that works to increase LGBT rights across the world by building relationships with local LGBT communities worldwide.

Sjdin says that while Pence has not directly done anything to work against LGBT rights abroad, she agreed that his anti-LGBT record would likely affect policy in regards to LGBT people, as well as make U.S. lose its moral authority on such issues.

There's no country on earth that has a perfect record on LGBTIQ rights, Sjdin said. But the bigger the discrepancy, the harder it is for a country to have moral authority when it speaks out.

Sjdin was also quick to point out that even if actions by the Trump Administration do notdirectly affect LGBT rights internationally, several parts of international policy do. For example, the travel ban on Muslim-majority nations will affect LGBT people as well, as would cutting the number of refugees the U.S. taken in each year.

LGBT rights are not special rights, they're part of all human rights, Sjdin said.

Gay rights are human rights. Most ASU students, who areof a more socially conscious generation, know that to be true. But so much of the world stage is going to be very slow to feel the same unless we as Americans can do otherwise.

We must have the moral responsibility to be able to call for equality at the UN podium and pray that all the states of that body listen. Having Pence as vice presidentis only going make that action even more difficult.

Reach the columnist at Marinodavidjr@gmail.com or follow @Marinodavidjr on Twitter.

Editors note: The opinions presented in this column are the authors and do not imply any endorsement from The State Press or its editors.

Want to join the conversation? Send an email to opiniondesk.statepress@gmail.com. Keep letters under 500 words and be sure to include your university affiliation. Anonymity will not be granted.

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Having Mike Pence as Vice President hurts LGBT people worldwide - The State Press

Vice President Mike Pence took a brief break from being a statesman on Sunday, instead opting to be a tourist on his last full day in Australia.

And like any camera-toting tourist in a foreign land, he was quick to share photos of his excursions on social media.

Pence, along with his wife Karen and their daughters Audrey and Charlotte, kicked off the day with a guided visit of Sydney's Taronga Zoo.

The Pences spent over an hour at the zoo, where they got up close and personal with an emu, an echidna, an owl, a possum -- and, being Australia, a kangaroo named Penny and a koala named Bai'yali.

"Couldn't visit Australia without seeing the kangaroos," the vice president tweeted. "Karen, Charlotte, Audrey and I enjoying our morning visit to @tarongazoo. #VPinAUS."

The second lady fed an emu named Widji leaves, while the vice president and Audrey petted him.

The vice president said, laughing, "Should we [take a] selfie?" But the emu didn't appear interested, and began walking away. Pence concluded, "Looks like he's done!"

Audrey, though, did manage to snap a selfie with a kangaroo. "I was obsessed with kangaroos as a kid," she said.

The Pences then boarded a 60-foot cruiser, The Enigma, for a tour of Sydney Harbor. Joining him were the premier of New South Wales, Gladys Berejiklian, as well as New South Wales treasurer Dominic Perrottet and Australia's ambassador to the U.S., Joe Hockey.

"Thanks to NSW Premier 4 hosting beautiful Sydney Harbor tour," tweeted Pence, along with photos of the outing. "The stunning views are only surpassed by friendly Australian people. #VPinAUS."

The Pences were then given a tour of the Sydney Opera House by its CEO, Louise Herron.

"Spectacular way to end our last full day in Sydney with a tour of the iconic Opera House," Pence tweeted.

The Pence clan also visited Government House, the official residence of the governor of New South Wales.

"It was a pleasure to be welcomed to Government House in Sydney by H.E. The Hon. David Hurley, Governor of New South Wales," the vice president tweeted.

On Monday, Pence will fly from Sydney to Hawaii, the last stop of his 10-day trip to the Asia-Pacific region.

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Mike Pence takes a break from diplomacy to go sightseeing in Sydney with his family - ABC News

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence speaks during an Easter fellowship dinner at a military base in Seoul, South Korea, April 16, 2017.

REUTERS

PAGO PAGO, American Samoa-- Vice President Mike Pence is shortening his stay in Hawaii to a few hours so that he could fly back to Washington in what promises to be a very busy week for the administration and Congress.

Pences office said he would depart Hawaii on Monday afternoon after meeting with U.S. Pacific Command leaders and troops stationed in Honolulu. Plans for a Tuesday visit to the USS Arizona in Pearl Harbor have been postponed, Pences office said.

Congress has until Friday to pass a new spending package or the government will shutdown. The White House is also planning to unveil a tax reform plan this week.

In American Samoa on Monday, he thanked American service members based in American Samoa, citing challenging times for the military in the Asia-Pacific. Completing a visit to the region and en route back to the United States, Pence addressed some 200 soldiers during a refueling stop in Pago Pago. He told the troops the Trump administration was seeking a large increase in military funding.

During his stop, Pence also dedicated a sign that will greet visitors at a veterans clinic. He met with American Samoan officials and troops and then flew to Hawaii at the last stop on a tour that included a visit to the Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea.

The trip offered evidence that Pence has become one of President Donald Trumps chief emissaries on the world stage, patching up relations, reassuring allies still wondering what to expect from Trump and diving into international crises like North Korea.

Pences trip to Asia was planned weeks ago. But it dropped him in South Korea just in time to deliver North Korea a stern warning from the U.S.: that all options are on the table when it comes to curbing the Norths nuclear ambitions, and that the Trump administration will seek support from its allies to pressure Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.

His foray into the DMZ and his meetings with South Korean and Japanese leaders allowed Pence to shape a key American foreign policy issue, presenting a new challenge for a politician whose prior foreign policy experience was limited to trips to the Middle East as a congressman and trade missions to Japan, China, Israel and Europe as Indianas governor.

Pences early foreign travel schedule contrasts sharply with a mostly homebound Trump, who is not scheduled to travel overseas until late May for NATO meetings in Belgium and a gathering of the Group of Seven major industrial nations in Italy. Pence partly covered that ground when he visited Germany and Belgium in February.

Trumps predecessor, Barack Obama, had visited nine countries by late April 2009, his first three months in office, checking in with allies such as Canada, Britain and Germany. The last first-term president to wait until May to take his first foreign trip was Jimmy Carter in 1977.

Enter Pence, whose still-evolving diplomatic playbook includes several components, all steeped in humility, personal ties and his religious faith.

In some ways, Pence is the advance team: His earlier trip to Europe and his Asia trip that ends Tuesday are partly laying the foundation for journeys being planned for Trump. In other ways, Pence is the face of reassurance, offering in-person outreach to world leaders Trump has clashed with or who have doubted Trumps commitment to them at the start of his presidency.

In meetings with his counterparts, Pence frequently passed along greetings from Trump and told his hosts how much America valued their alliance, language thats commonplace in diplomacy but understated compared to the more free-wheeling Trump.

On Thursday, for example, Pence told Indonesian President Joko Jokowi Widodo how proud he and Trump were to partner with him and spoke of their hopes of working together.

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Mike Pence cuts short his stop in Hawaii to deal with domestic issues - CBS News