Hartford, Ct. – Governor Dan Malloy released the following statement in response to Donald Trump’s announcement that he has selected Indiana Governor Mike Pence as his running mate. Governor Malloy has in the past publicly opposed Governor Pence’s bigotry when he signed an anti-LGBT right-to-discriminate law and when he tried to block a Syrian refugee family from moving to his state.

“With his pick of Mike Pence, Donald Trump is doubling down on the hatred and bigotry that has defined his campaign,” said Governor Malloy. “Governor Pence has a long history of supporting policies that attack people who don’t look like him. That was on full display when he signed his anti-LGBT right-to-discriminate law and tried to block a Syrian refugee family – some of the most vulnerable people in the world – from entering his state. I was proud when the state of Connecticut stood up to this display of hatred in public policy.

“But, his attacks on women and LGBT people go back much further. He approved one of the nation’s most oppressive, anti-woman, anti-choice laws. He led the GOP’s ignorant crusade to deny women health care choices by defunding Planned Parenthood, and he has even supported anti-LGBT conversion therapy.

“I know what it’s like to be on the wrong end of ugly divisiveness and to deal with people who want to punish others just because they’re different. I grew up with severe disabilities. I couldn’t tie a shoe or button a shirt until I was ten. Many people called me ‘mentally retarded’ because they didn’t know how to treat those disabilities. I had to dictate my writing to get through college and law school, and was the first person to take the bar exam in several states orally based on my learning disability. I spent most of my young life being pushed around by bullies like Donald Trump and Mike Pence who want to punish people for their differences. Luckily for me, there were people like my mother who saw my potential and helped me become who I am today.

“I will always stand up to bullies and bigots like Mike Pence and Donald Trump because this country – and the people who have been bullied and pushed around for far too long – simply cannot afford these backwards policies and divisive rhetoric.”