Article Summary –
The article details JD Vance’s appearance at Generation Church in Mesa, Arizona, where he and Pastor Ryan Visconti shared controversial views on domestic violence, abortion, and LGBTQ rights. Both figures argue against divorce even in cases of physical abuse and hold strong anti-abortion stances, with Vance supporting restrictive abortion laws and Visconti celebrating Arizona’s stringent abortion ban. Additionally, they both oppose LGBTQ rights, with Visconti’s church denying the existence of transgender people and Vance sponsoring legislation to limit gender-affirming care and same-sex marriage protections.
The Trump campaign switched its typical anti-LGBTQ church venue for another this week, when JD Vance, vice presidential candidate, hosted a student event in Mesa, Arizona.
Vance addressed supporters at Generation Church as part of Turning Point Action’s “Chase the Vote” campaign. Pastor Ryan Visconti, a US Army veteran with a history of homophobic and misogynistic beliefs, welcomed him.
Violence in marriage
Both Vance and Visconti hold troubling views on domestic violence, advising victims to remain in abusive marriages for the children’s sake.
“Although it is heartbreaking, ‘abuse’ is not a biblical justification for divorce,” Visconti posted on Instagram. Vance echoed similar sentiments during a 2022 discussion at Pacifica Christian High School.
Disdain for abortion care
Both men are staunchly anti-abortion. Visconti celebrated an Arizona Supreme Court ruling reinstating an 1864 law banning abortions without exceptions, calling abortion an “abomination.”
While Vance recently softened his abortion stance, he has a history of supporting restrictive policies, opposing an Ohio amendment to make abortion access a constitutional right, and backing a nationwide 15-week abortion ban proposed by US Sen. Lindsay Graham. Prior to the 2022 Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, Vance supported a federal ban on abortions, using a racially charged hypothetical to argue against state-level decisions.
Erasing the LGBTQ community
Visconti’s Generation Church denies the existence of transgender people and only recognizes marriages between men and women. Visconti has openly stated that same-sex couples should not exist and discourages any association with LGBTQ members.
Unlike Visconti, Vance has had the opportunity to legislate his anti-LGBTQ views. In the US Senate, Vance sponsored a bill prohibiting gender-affirming care for minors and vowed to vote against any law that would protect same-sex marriage. He has also falsely accused LGBTQ members and allies of being sexual abusers, stating on Twitter, “I’ll stop calling people ‘groomers’ when they stop freaking out about bills that prevent the sexualization of my children.”
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