I Have Another Question.

The internet is abuzz about drag photos of Vance, but I have another question. Why did Sen. Vance go from supporting us to demonizing us?

While Trump's campaign remains mum on photo appearing to show JD Vance in drag, the internet has thoughts
“If he was more open to learning from our community we could have helped with that wig,” one queer content creator wrote on social media.
The Advocate
By Christopher Wiggins
August 12, 2024

Former president Donald Trump’s running mate, Ohio U.S. Sen. JD Vance, is being called out for hypocrisy after an image circulated of somebody who appears to be Vance dressed as a woman. A photo allegedly showing Vance dressed indrag during his Yale Law School days ignited calls of hypocrisy given the Republican’s long-standing opposition to LGBTQ+ rights.

The image, which shows a man purported to be Vance wearing a blonde wig, black blouse, and a skirt, was posted on X (formerly Twitter) by podcast host and social media influencer Matt Bernstein on Sunday. It shows the person in women’s clothing playing the drinking game, beer pong. The post quickly lit up the internet, with over 10 million views on Monday just on X. The image began trending under the hashtag #SofaLoren, a play on the name of Italian actress Sophia Loren and a reference to an unproven claim that Vance once engaged in sexual activity with a piece of furniture.

The picture was allegedly taken at a party in 2012 by one of Vance’s classmates while he was studying at Yale. The image was shared within a group chat before being sent to Bernstein by Travis Whitfill, a Yale alum. Whitfill confirmed his role in surfacing the image, writing on X, “I was the source of the photo (sent through friends to you). This was taken in 2012 (the same time I was at Yale). Photo was taken by a classmate and sent to me. Thanks for sharing.”

To his credit, Sen. Vance admitted that it was him in Drag.

JD Vance, an Unlikely Friendship and Why It Ended
His political views differed from a transgender classmate’s, but they forged a bond that lasted a decade — until Mr. Vance seemed to pivot, politically and personally.
The New York Times
By Stephanie Saul
July 27, 2024

When his book, “Hillbilly Elegy,” was published in 2016, JD Vance sent an email apologizing to a close friend from his Yale Law School days. The friend identified as transgender, but Mr. Vance referred to them in the book as a lesbian.

“Hey Sofes, here’s an excerpt from my book,” Mr. Vance wrote to his friend, Sofia Nelson. “I send this to you not just to brag, but because I’m sure if you read it you’ll notice reference to ‘an extremely progressive lesbian.’”

“I recognize now that this may not accurately reflect how you think of yourself, and for that I am really sorry,” he wrote. “I hope you’re not offended, but if you are, I’m sorry! Love you, JD.”

How did Vance turn from his trans friend to lambasting the trans community? I think that is the important question.

And they reflect a young man quite different from the hard-right culture warrior of today who back then brought homemade baked goods to his friend after Nelson underwent transition-related surgery. The visit cemented their bond.

[…]

“He achieved great success and became very rich by being a Never Trumper who explained the white working class to the liberal elite,” Nelson said, referring to Mr. Vance’s successful 2016 book. “Now he’s amassing even more power by expressing the exact opposite.”

I think that is the key… power!

The HRC wrote…

ICYMI: How JD Vance Betrayed His Transgender Friend for the Sake of His Political Ambition
By Cullen Peele
July 30, 2024

In a piece published by the New York Times over the weekend, Sofia Nelson, a former Yale Law School classmate of JD Vance, shared details of how Donald Trump’s running mate was once a close friend who empathized with marginalized Americans, including LGBTQ+ people, and Nelson’s own transgender identity. Nelson, who is now a public defender living in Detroit, provided text messages and emails from Vance that not only quote the Ohio senator’s previous disdain for Trump, but even his participation in Pride celebrations and his concern about police brutality and racial equity.

[…]

Vance also penned a piece for the New York Times in 2016, stating that “The more white people feel like voting for Trump, the more Black people will suffer. I really believe that.” Vance was not only critical of Trump for his history of racism, but also said that, “I’ve been very critical of other Repubs for the L.G.B.T.Q. issue, especially Rick Perry,” referring to the former Texas governor. Not long after joining the U.S. Senate, Vance set out to hold up State Department nominees over his objections to their pro-LGBTQ+ policy views, going as far as to send a MAGA litmus test questionnaire forcing them to describe their views on diversity, Pride flags, and gender neutral restrooms.

But he was turned by power and money!

NBC News writes that,

HRC and GLAAD noted that Vance introduced a bill last year called the Protect Children’s Innocence Act, which would have banned transition-related medical care, including puberty blockers, hormone therapy and operations, for minors nationally. The bill, which was never taken up in committee, would have charged health care providers who violated it with a class C felony, which is punishable by up to 15 years in prison, and also would have banned institutions of higher education and accrediting entities from providing instruction about gender-affirming care.

In October, a few months after he introduced the transition-related health care bill, Vance introduced the Passport Sanity Act, a bill to ban “X” gender markers on U.S. passports, an option that the State Department rolled out in April 2022. The bill was also never taken up in committee.

I believe it is all about power and money! Perplexity wrote in part to the question: “What changed JD Vance from supporting transgender friends to being against them?”

However, after entering politics and aligning himself with conservative figures like Donald Trump, Vance's stance changed significantly. He became a vocal opponent of transgender rights, introducing legislation such as the Protect Children's Innocence Act, which sought to ban gender-affirming care for minors, and the Passport Sanity Act, which aimed to eliminate the "X" gender marker on U.S. passports. … These actions and his rhetoric have drawn criticism from LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, who accuse him of betraying his former values and friends for political gain.

To the question “How did JD Vance's views on LGBTQ+ rights evolve over time?” Perplexity answered in part...

However, after entering politics and becoming a U.S. Senator in 2022, Vance's views shifted towards more conservative positions. He has since introduced and supported several pieces of legislation that have been criticized by LGBTQ+ advocacy groups. For example, he introduced the Protect Children's Innocence Act, which sought to ban gender-affirming care for minors, and the Passport Sanity Act, which aimed to prohibit the use of non-binary gender markers on U.S. passports. Vance has also expressed opposition to the Respect for Marriage Act, which protects marriage equality for same-sex couples.

[…]

Overall, JD Vance's evolution on LGBTQ+ rights reflects a broader alignment with conservative political strategies and priorities, moving away from his earlier, more supportive views.

I think that he became greedy when he was with several venture capital endeavors, including working as a principal at Mithril Capital, a venture firm backed by Peter Thiel, the Washington Post wrote,

Inside the powerful Peter Thiel network that anointed JD Vance
A small influential network of right-wing techies orchestrated Vance’s rise in Silicon Valley — and then the GOP. Now the industry stands to gain if he wins the White House.
By Elizabeth Dwoskin, Cat Zakrzewski, Nitasha Tiku and Josh Dawsey
July 28, 2024

In the weeks before former president Donald Trump announced his vice-presidential pick, some of tech’s biggest names launched a quiet campaign to push for one of their own: Ohio Sen. JD Vance.

The former president fielded repeated calls from tech entrepreneur David Sacks, Palantir adviser Jacob Helberg and billionaire venture capitalist Peter Thiel, Vance’s former employer and mentor, imploring him to add the onetime Silicon Valley investor to the ticket, according to three people familiar with the entreaties, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the private conversations.

Vance’s most forceful Silicon Valley advocates are euphoric about the former Never Trumper’s rise in the GOP. They see Vance as their emissary in Washington, spreading a doctrine that government and entrenched corporate giants from Google to Lockheed Martin stifle innovation, while nimble, bold-thinking start-ups — especially their own — can propel the national interest. And while the ascension of Vice President Harris has invigorated many left-leaning tech leaders, some in Thiel’s network would stand to benefit from having Vance in the White House — a new asset for venture capitalists who until recently shunned Washington.

Power and greed turned his back on friends. That tells us a lot about the character of Trump's VP candidate.

 

Power and greed!
Greed and power!

Vote Blue this November to go foreword.