When Indiana Governor Mike Pence last week signed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act—a measure that could give for-profit businesses the right to discriminate based on religious beliefs—he set off a national backlash. Caught off guard, Pence denied that RFRA would allow discrimination against LGBT residents, CNN reports, and he has promised to fix the law.

Only one problem. Journalists and activists have dug up previous statements by the Republican governor that do show animus not only toward LGBT Hoosiers but also toward AIDS service organizations.

One example is “The Pence Agenda,” an outline of his political agenda as stated in his 2000 run for Congress. A section titled Strengthening the American Family included these items:

    • Congress should oppose any effort to put gay and lesbian relationships on an equal legal status with heterosexual marriage.

    • Congress should oppose any effort to recognize homosexuals as a “discreet and insular minority” entitled to the protection of anti-discrimination laws similar to those extended to women and ethnic minorities.

  • Congress should support the reauthorization of the Ryan White Care Act only after completion of an audit to ensure that federal dollars were no longer being given to organizations that celebrate and encourage the types of behaviors that facilitate the spreading of the HIV virus. Resources should be directed toward those institutions which provide assistance to those seeking to change their sexual behavior.

Linking to the Pence Agenda, New York–based GMHC released a statement against Pence’s record. “Governor Pence can claim his law was never meant to allow discrimination, but he cannot hide from his long history of extreme attacks on LGBT Americans and people living with HIV and AIDS,” said Anthony Hayes, GMHC’s managing director of public affairs and policy.

“When Governor Pence ran for Congress, he was crystal clear that ‘homosexuals’ should not be ‘entitled to the protection of anti-discrimination laws’—and even advocated stripping federal funding from organizations like GMHC that help those affected by HIV and AIDS, unless they spent their money trying to turn gay people straight.”

“Indiana must immediately repeal this ‘license to discriminate law’ and instead pass laws that ensure equal rights for ALL Indianans, including members of the LGBT community and those affected by HIV and AIDS.”

GMHC also referenced the recent HIV outbreak in rural Indiana that is linked to injecting prescription drugs. In response to the health emergency, the governor allowed for a temporary needle exchange in the county affected by the outbreak.

“Pence’s disregard for preventing the spread of HIV in Indiana is exemplified by his reactive response to new HIV infections linked to injection drug use (IDU),” Hayes said. “The evidence that syringe exchange programs can nearly eliminate HIV infection among injection drug users has been available for years. Yet, Governor Pence only responded when forced to by the recent epidemic of new IDU-related HIV infections in his state, which could have been prevented.”