US Vice President Mike Pence

Dozens of Graduates Express Protest by Walking out before Mike Pence’s Commencement Address in Taylor University, Indiana

Dozens of Taylor University’s graduates and faculty in Indiana walked out before their Vice President, Mike Pence, gave them his commencement address. While some of the graduates walked out in caps and gowns, most of them, around 494 graduates remained in their sits for the Vice President’s speech.

This act is a result of disagreement from the students, faculty and alumni of the Christian liberal arts school to the decision of inviting the vice president to the ceremony. The disagreement itself is caused by Mike Pence’s comments and policies that discriminate the LGBTQ community. Moreover, his administration has made one of its signature issues on immigration by being in a tough stance, particularly across the southern border with Mexico.

As a university with students of diverse cultures and backgrounds, some graduates and faculty felt that the presents of Mike Pence is inappropriate due to his stance on LGTBQ and immigrant community. Laura Rathburn, one of the graduates, opposes this decision of the university by saying that his presence makes it difficult for everyone in Taylor University to feel welcomed. As a form of support towards the protest, the stickers that read “We are Taylor too” were worn by the protesting graduates and faculty in the school’s social work department.

Another graduate, Jennifer Nelson, also stated that with many unpopular and harmful decisions made by the administration under Trump-Pence presidential, a lot of students from many communities are impacted by them, and even impacted by the decision from when Pence was the governor in the state of Indiana.

Source :

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/dozens-of-graduates-walk-out-before-mike-pence-commencement-address-at-indiana-university