After years of progrs on gay rights, how did the US bee so anti-LGBTQ+? | US news | The Guardian

Contents:

• GROUPS OPPOSED TO GAY RIGHTS RAKE LNS AS STAT BATE ANTI-LGBTQ BILLS
• LIST OF ACTIVE ANTI-LGBTQ HATE GROUPSELIMATE HATE·FOLLOW6 M READ·APR 13, 2017--LISTENSHAREIN 2016, THE SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER (SPLC) LISTED 52 ACTIVE ANTI-LGBTQ HATE GROUPS THE U.S. AS SPLC STAT ON S WEBSE, “THE GROUPS ARE NOT LISTED ON THE BASIS OF OPPOSN TO SAME-SEX MARRIAGE OR THE BELIEF THAT THE BIBLE SCRIB HOMOSEXUAL ACTIVY AS SFUL. ANTI-LGBT GROUPS ENGAGE C NAME-LLG AND DISSEMATE DISPARAGG PROPAGANDA AND FALSEHOODS ABOUT THIS POPULATN, SUCH AS THE CLAIM THAT GAY MEN MOLT CHILDREN AT VASTLY HIGHER RAT THAN STRAIGHT MEN.”OUT OF THE 52 ACTIVE ANTI-LGBTQ HATE GROUPS NATNALLY (FULL LIST AVAILABLE BELOW), SPLC HAS EXTENSIVELY PROFILED SIX OF THE MOST PROMENT ANIZATNS PEDDLG EXTREME, MALIC LI ABOUT LGBTQ PEOPLE. THE SIX GROUPS CLU:1. ALLIANCE DEFENDG FREEDOM (ADF)LOTN: STTSDALE, AZFOUND: 1994PRINT AND CEO: MICHAEL FARRISEXCERPT OM SPLC’S EXTREMIST PROFILE:FOUND BY SOME 30 LEARS OF THE CHRISTIAN RIGHT, THE ALLIANCE DEFENDG FREEDOM IS A LEGAL ADVOCY AND TRAG GROUP THAT SPECIALIZ SUPPORTG THE RECRIMALIZATN OF HOMOSEXUALY ABROAD, ENDG SAME-SEX MARRIAGE, AND GENERALLY MAKG LIFE AS DIFFICULT AS POSSIBLE FOR LGBT MUNI THE U.S. AND TERNATNALLY. DPE S REGULAR FAMATN OF LGBT PEOPLE, THE GROUP HAS MANAGED TO W SPECIAL ADVISORY STAT AT THE UNED NATNS, THE EUROPEAN UNN, AND WH THE ORGANIZATN OF AMERIN STAT.2. FAY REARCH COUNCIL (FRC)LOTN: WASHGTON, DCFOUND: 1983PRINT: TONY PERKSEXCERPT OM SPLC’S EXTREMIST PROFILE:THE FRC OFTEN MAK FALSE CLAIMS ABOUT THE LGBT MUNY BASED ON DISCREDED REARCH AND JUNK SCIENCE. THE TENTN IS TO NIGRATE LGBT PEOPLE AS THE ANIZATN BATTL AGAST SAME-SEX MARRIAGE, HATE CRIME LAWS, ANTI-BULLYG PROGRAMS AND THE REPEAL OF THE ARY’S “DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL” POLICY.TO MAKE THE SE THAT THE LGBT MUNY IS A THREAT TO AMERIN SOCIETY, THE FRC EMPLOYS A NUMBER OF “POLICY EXPERTS” WHOSE “REARCH” HAS ALLOWED THE FRC TO BE EXTREMELY ACTIVE POLILLY SHAPG PUBLIC BATE. ITS REARCH FELLOWS AND LEARS OFTEN TTIFY BEFORE CONGRS AND APPEAR THE MASTREAM MEDIA. IT ALSO WORKS AT THE GRASSROOTS LEVEL, NDUCTG OUTREACH TO PASTORS AN EFFORT TO “TRANSFORM THE CULTURE.”3. AMERIN FAY ASSOCIATN (AFA)LOTN: TUPELO, MSFOUND: 1977PRINT: TIM WILDMONEXCERPT OM SPLC’S EXTREMIST PROFILE:INIALLY FOUND AS THE NATNAL FERATN FOR DECENCY, THE AMERIN FAY ASSOCIATN (AFA) ORIGALLY FOCED ON WHAT NSIRED CENT TELEVISN PROGRAMMG AND PORNOGRAPHY. THE AFA SAYS PROMOT “TRADNAL MORAL VALU” MEDIA. A LARGE PART OF THAT WORK VOLV “BATG THE HOMOSEXUAL AGENDA” THROUGH VAR MEANS, CLUDG PUBLICIZG PANI THAT HAVE PRO-GAY POLICI AND ANIZG BOYTTS AGAST THEM. THE AFA HAS A VARIETY OF OUTLETS TO DISSEMATE S MSAGE, CLUDG THE AMERIN FAY RAD NETWORK, S ONLE ONE NEWS NOW AND THE MONTHLY AFA JOURNAL.4. LIBERTY COUNSELLOTN: ORLANDO, FLFOUND: 1989PRINT: MATHEW (MAT) STAVEREXCERPT OM SPLC’S EXTREMIST PROFILE:THE LIBERTY COUNSEL WAS FOUND BY NSERVATIVE ACTIVISTS MATHEW (“MAT”) STAVER — AN ATTORNEY AND FORMER AN AT LIBERTY UNIVERSY SCHOOL OF LAW — AND HIS WIFE ANA. THE COUNSEL BILLS SELF AS A NON-PROF LIGATN, TN AND POLICY ANIZATN THAT PROVIS LEGAL UNSEL AND PRO BONO ASSISTANCE S ALG WH RELIG LIBERTY, “THE SANCTY OF HUMAN LIFE” AND THE FAY. MAT STAVER CHAIRS THE COUNSEL; HIS WIFE ANA IS THE PRINT. THE LIBERTY COUNSEL SHAR A CLOSE AFFILIATN WH LIBERTY UNIVERSY (FOUND BY THE LATE JERRY FALWELL LYNCHBURG, VA.) , PECIALLY THE UNIVERSY’S SCHOOL OF LAW. THE PARTNERSHIP CLUS THE WASHGTON, D.C.-BASED LIBERTY CENTER FOR LAW AND POLICY, WHICH NDUCTS LEGAL REARCH AND WR ABOUT CURRENT LEGISLATN AND POLICI.5. TRADNAL VALU COALNLOTN: ANAHEIM, CA AND WASHGTON, DCFOUND: 1980PRINT: ANDREA LAFFERTYEXCERPT OM SPLC’S EXTREMIST PROFILE:PRBYTERIAN MISTER LOU SHELDON FOUND THE TRADNAL VALU COALN (TVC) 1980 TO SPREAD A “MORAL AND BEHAVR BASED UPON THE OLD AND NEW TTAMENTS” AND TO WARN AMERINS OF THE RISG “GAY THREAT.” THE TRADNAL VALU THE TVC FIGHTS FOR CLU: THE RIGHT TO LIFE (OPPOSN TO ABORTN AND THANASIA), CHASTY AND PATRTISM, ALONG WH OPPOSN TO HOMOSEXUALY, PORNOGRAPHY, THE TEACHG OF EVOLUTN PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRATN. SHELDON ALSO OPPOS GAMBLG, EXCEPT WHEN HE DON’T — 2000, HE HELPED KILL THE INTER GAMBLG PROHIBN ACT AFTER THE TVC RECEIVED A $25,000 CHECK OM ELOTTERY, A CLIENT OF NOW-DISGRACED FORMER LOBBYIST JACK ABRAMOFF. THE TVC, WHOSE PRINT IS SHELDON’S DGHTER, ANDREA LAFFERTY, CLAIMS TO REPRENT OVER 43,000 CHRISTIAN CHURCH ACROSS THE UNED STAT.6. WTBORO BAPTIST CHURCH (WBC)
• 18 ANTI-GAY GROUPS AND THEIR PROPAGANDA
• HISTORY OF THE ANTI-GAY MOVEMENT SCE 1977
• DON'T LET THAT RABOW LOGO FOOL YOU: THE 9 CORPORATNS DONATED MILLNS TO ANTI-GAY POLICIANS
• AFTER YEARS OF PROGRS ON GAY RIGHTS, HOW DID THE US BEE SO ANTI-LGBTQ+?

GROUPS OPPOSED TO GAY RIGHTS RAKE LNS AS STAT BATE ANTI-LGBTQ BILLS

“Many of those, while not specifilly tied to a church, are rooted the nservative Christian, biblil sense of human sexualy, ” said Stt McCoy, the terim puty legal director for LGBTQ rights and special ligatn for the SPLC and the SPLC Actn Fund, the group’s polil actn simply holdg a relig belief that views homosexualy or transgenr inty as sful do not tomatilly land a church or an anizatn on the SPLC’s list of hate groups. Alliance Defendg Freedom (ADF)Lotn: Sttsdale, AZFound: 1994Print and CEO: Michael FarrisExcerpt om SPLC’s Extremist Profile:Found by some 30 lears of the Christian Right, the Alliance Defendg Freedom is a legal advocy and trag group that specializ supportg the recrimalizatn of homosexualy abroad, endg same-sex marriage, and generally makg life as difficult as possible for LGBT muni the U. Tradnal Valu CoalnLotn: Anaheim, CA and Washgton, DCFound: 1980Print: Andrea LaffertyExcerpt om SPLC’s Extremist Profile:Prbyterian mister Lou Sheldon found the Tradnal Valu Coaln (TVC) 1980 to spread a “moral and behavr based upon the Old and New Ttaments” and to warn Amerins of the risg “gay threat.

LIST OF ACTIVE ANTI-LGBTQ HATE GROUPSELIMATE HATE·FOLLOW6 M READ·APR 13, 2017--LISTENSHAREIN 2016, THE SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER (SPLC) LISTED 52 ACTIVE ANTI-LGBTQ HATE GROUPS THE U.S. AS SPLC STAT ON S WEBSE, “THE GROUPS ARE NOT LISTED ON THE BASIS OF OPPOSN TO SAME-SEX MARRIAGE OR THE BELIEF THAT THE BIBLE SCRIB HOMOSEXUAL ACTIVY AS SFUL. ANTI-LGBT GROUPS ENGAGE C NAME-LLG AND DISSEMATE DISPARAGG PROPAGANDA AND FALSEHOODS ABOUT THIS POPULATN, SUCH AS THE CLAIM THAT GAY MEN MOLT CHILDREN AT VASTLY HIGHER RAT THAN STRAIGHT MEN.”OUT OF THE 52 ACTIVE ANTI-LGBTQ HATE GROUPS NATNALLY (FULL LIST AVAILABLE BELOW), SPLC HAS EXTENSIVELY PROFILED SIX OF THE MOST PROMENT ANIZATNS PEDDLG EXTREME, MALIC LI ABOUT LGBTQ PEOPLE. THE SIX GROUPS CLU:1. ALLIANCE DEFENDG FREEDOM (ADF)LOTN: STTSDALE, AZFOUND: 1994PRINT AND CEO: MICHAEL FARRISEXCERPT OM SPLC’S EXTREMIST PROFILE:FOUND BY SOME 30 LEARS OF THE CHRISTIAN RIGHT, THE ALLIANCE DEFENDG FREEDOM IS A LEGAL ADVOCY AND TRAG GROUP THAT SPECIALIZ SUPPORTG THE RECRIMALIZATN OF HOMOSEXUALY ABROAD, ENDG SAME-SEX MARRIAGE, AND GENERALLY MAKG LIFE AS DIFFICULT AS POSSIBLE FOR LGBT MUNI THE U.S. AND TERNATNALLY. DPE S REGULAR FAMATN OF LGBT PEOPLE, THE GROUP HAS MANAGED TO W SPECIAL ADVISORY STAT AT THE UNED NATNS, THE EUROPEAN UNN, AND WH THE ORGANIZATN OF AMERIN STAT.2. FAY REARCH COUNCIL (FRC)LOTN: WASHGTON, DCFOUND: 1983PRINT: TONY PERKSEXCERPT OM SPLC’S EXTREMIST PROFILE:THE FRC OFTEN MAK FALSE CLAIMS ABOUT THE LGBT MUNY BASED ON DISCREDED REARCH AND JUNK SCIENCE. THE TENTN IS TO NIGRATE LGBT PEOPLE AS THE ANIZATN BATTL AGAST SAME-SEX MARRIAGE, HATE CRIME LAWS, ANTI-BULLYG PROGRAMS AND THE REPEAL OF THE ARY’S “DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL” POLICY.TO MAKE THE SE THAT THE LGBT MUNY IS A THREAT TO AMERIN SOCIETY, THE FRC EMPLOYS A NUMBER OF “POLICY EXPERTS” WHOSE “REARCH” HAS ALLOWED THE FRC TO BE EXTREMELY ACTIVE POLILLY SHAPG PUBLIC BATE. ITS REARCH FELLOWS AND LEARS OFTEN TTIFY BEFORE CONGRS AND APPEAR THE MASTREAM MEDIA. IT ALSO WORKS AT THE GRASSROOTS LEVEL, NDUCTG OUTREACH TO PASTORS AN EFFORT TO “TRANSFORM THE CULTURE.”3. AMERIN FAY ASSOCIATN (AFA)LOTN: TUPELO, MSFOUND: 1977PRINT: TIM WILDMONEXCERPT OM SPLC’S EXTREMIST PROFILE:INIALLY FOUND AS THE NATNAL FERATN FOR DECENCY, THE AMERIN FAY ASSOCIATN (AFA) ORIGALLY FOCED ON WHAT NSIRED CENT TELEVISN PROGRAMMG AND PORNOGRAPHY. THE AFA SAYS PROMOT “TRADNAL MORAL VALU” MEDIA. A LARGE PART OF THAT WORK VOLV “BATG THE HOMOSEXUAL AGENDA” THROUGH VAR MEANS, CLUDG PUBLICIZG PANI THAT HAVE PRO-GAY POLICI AND ANIZG BOYTTS AGAST THEM. THE AFA HAS A VARIETY OF OUTLETS TO DISSEMATE S MSAGE, CLUDG THE AMERIN FAY RAD NETWORK, S ONLE ONE NEWS NOW AND THE MONTHLY AFA JOURNAL.4. LIBERTY COUNSELLOTN: ORLANDO, FLFOUND: 1989PRINT: MATHEW (MAT) STAVEREXCERPT OM SPLC’S EXTREMIST PROFILE:THE LIBERTY COUNSEL WAS FOUND BY NSERVATIVE ACTIVISTS MATHEW (“MAT”) STAVER — AN ATTORNEY AND FORMER AN AT LIBERTY UNIVERSY SCHOOL OF LAW — AND HIS WIFE ANA. THE COUNSEL BILLS SELF AS A NON-PROF LIGATN, TN AND POLICY ANIZATN THAT PROVIS LEGAL UNSEL AND PRO BONO ASSISTANCE S ALG WH RELIG LIBERTY, “THE SANCTY OF HUMAN LIFE” AND THE FAY. MAT STAVER CHAIRS THE COUNSEL; HIS WIFE ANA IS THE PRINT. THE LIBERTY COUNSEL SHAR A CLOSE AFFILIATN WH LIBERTY UNIVERSY (FOUND BY THE LATE JERRY FALWELL LYNCHBURG, VA.) , PECIALLY THE UNIVERSY’S SCHOOL OF LAW. THE PARTNERSHIP CLUS THE WASHGTON, D.C.-BASED LIBERTY CENTER FOR LAW AND POLICY, WHICH NDUCTS LEGAL REARCH AND WR ABOUT CURRENT LEGISLATN AND POLICI.5. TRADNAL VALU COALNLOTN: ANAHEIM, CA AND WASHGTON, DCFOUND: 1980PRINT: ANDREA LAFFERTYEXCERPT OM SPLC’S EXTREMIST PROFILE:PRBYTERIAN MISTER LOU SHELDON FOUND THE TRADNAL VALU COALN (TVC) 1980 TO SPREAD A “MORAL AND BEHAVR BASED UPON THE OLD AND NEW TTAMENTS” AND TO WARN AMERINS OF THE RISG “GAY THREAT.” THE TRADNAL VALU THE TVC FIGHTS FOR CLU: THE RIGHT TO LIFE (OPPOSN TO ABORTN AND THANASIA), CHASTY AND PATRTISM, ALONG WH OPPOSN TO HOMOSEXUALY, PORNOGRAPHY, THE TEACHG OF EVOLUTN PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRATN. SHELDON ALSO OPPOS GAMBLG, EXCEPT WHEN HE DON’T — 2000, HE HELPED KILL THE INTER GAMBLG PROHIBN ACT AFTER THE TVC RECEIVED A $25,000 CHECK OM ELOTTERY, A CLIENT OF NOW-DISGRACED FORMER LOBBYIST JACK ABRAMOFF. THE TVC, WHOSE PRINT IS SHELDON’S DGHTER, ANDREA LAFFERTY, CLAIMS TO REPRENT OVER 43,000 CHRISTIAN CHURCH ACROSS THE UNED STAT.6. WTBORO BAPTIST CHURCH (WBC)

” The tradnal valu the TVC fights for clu: the right to life (opposn to abortn and thanasia), chasty and patrtism, along wh opposn to homosexualy, pornography, the teachg of evolutn public schools and illegal immigratn.

18 ANTI-GAY GROUPS AND THEIR PROPAGANDA

Typified by s slogan, “God Hat Fags, ” WBC is known for s harsh anti-gay beliefs and the c signs s members rry at their equent addn to the above six, there are 46 other anti-LGBTQ hate groups active natnally (via SPLC):Abidg Tth MistriSprgfield, MAAmerin Collegeof PediatriciansGaville, FLAmerins for TthAbout HomosexualyNaperville, ILAmerin VisnPowr Sprgs, GAATLAH World Missnary Church (All The Land Anoted Holy)New York, NYCamp Mistry USA, TheTerre Hte, INCenter for Fay and Human Rights (C-FAM)Washgton, DCNew York, NYChalcedon FoundatnValleco, CACizens for Communy ValuCcnati, OHConservative Republins of TexasHoton, TXD. Among those exampl are a parison of same-sex marriage to a marriage between “a man and his horse”; llg the “It Gets Better” project, an iative signed to help LGBTQ young people pe wh bullyg and margalizatn, “disgtg” and a “ncerted effort” to rec kids to the gay “liftyle”; and claimg that the “blood” of “young Mar” would be on the hands of lawmakers who voted to repeal the ary’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” Fay Rearch Council did not rpond to a requt for ment.

Another “anti-LGBTQ hate group” named the report is the Alliance Defendg Freedom, a nservative Christian legal group wh attorneys across the untry and a long track rerd of ligatg agast LGBTQ a lawsu that ma natnal headl last year, ADF reprented Jack Phillips, a Christian baker who refed to make a ke for a gay weddg, a narrow victory at the Supreme Court. “Along the same l that you see today, they put forward stereotyp and vilify, pecially gay men, as predators and predators of children, and e that to jtify the tactics of takg rights way om LGBTQ people, ” Fetner ced as an early example the activism of Ana Bryant Florida. The sger-turned-anti-gay-activist was behd the “Save Our Children” mpaign, which 1977 helped overturn a newly passed lol ordance Miami-Da County that prohibed discrimatn based on sexual orientatn employment, hog and public servic.

Even as some well-known anti-gay groups like Foc on the Fay morate their views, a hard re of smaller groups, most of them religly motivated, have ntued to pump out monizg propaganda aimed at homosexuals and other sexual mori. The book mak a seri of claims that virtually no ser historian agre wh: that Hler was gay, that “the Nazi Party was entirely ntrolled by aristic homosexuals, ” and that gays were pecially selected for the SS bee of their nate btaly.

HISTORY OF THE ANTI-GAY MOVEMENT SCE 1977

Takg a page om the anti-gay fabulist Stt Lively (see Abidg Tth Mistri, above), Fischer claimed a blog post last May 27 that “[h]omosexualy gave Adolph Hler, and homosexuals the ary gave the Brown Shirts, the Nazi war mache and 6 ln ad Jews.

A one-time reporter for the nservative Washgton Tim, LaBarbera has been an energetic mpaigner agast “the radil homosexual agenda” sce at least 1993, when he lnched The Lambda Report, which claimed to do first-hand reportg to expose s gay enemi. DeMar has modified that dictum slightly the past, sayg that homosexuals wouldn’t all be executed unr a “renstcted” ernment, but that he did believe that the ocsnal executn of “sodom” would serve society well bee “the law that requir the ath penalty for homosexual acts effectively driv the perversn of homosexualy unrground, back to the closet.

DON'T LET THAT RABOW LOGO FOOL YOU: THE 9 CORPORATNS DONATED MILLNS TO ANTI-GAY POLICIANS

It has lled the ia of allowg gays to serve openly the ary “evil”; opposed hate crim legislatn (which many relig-right groups falsely assert would make easy to send pastors to prison for nmng homosexualy); and raged agast a judge’s overturng of California’s Proposn 8, which had validated same-sex marriag. Although is somewhat benign by parison, the CADC has an advisory board that clus some of the untry’s most hard-le anti-gay activists: Lou Sheldon, head of the Tradnal Valu Coaln (see below); Donald Wildmon, the founr of the Amerin Fay Associatn (above); and O’Neal Dozier, a pastor who wrote his 2008 book that “[h]omosexualy not only spreads disease and ntraliz God’s mand, ” but also “stroys fai.

AFTER YEARS OF PROGRS ON GAY RIGHTS, HOW DID THE US BEE SO ANTI-LGBTQ+?

In 2001, she hired proment anti-gay propagandists Robert Knight (now wh Coral Ridge Mistri; see below) and Peter LaBarbera (now wh Amerins for Tth About Homosexualy, above) to lnch CWA’s Culture and Fay Instute.

” Last year, CWA acced the Gay, Lbian, and Straight Edutn Network (GLSEN), a group that works to stop anti-gay bullyg schools, of g that missn as a ver to promote homosexualy schools, addg that “teachg stunts om a young age that the homosexual liftyle is perfectly natural … will [e them to] velop to adults who are sensized to the harmful, immoral realy of sexual viance. In one recent say on the CRM webse, he argued agast allowg homosexuals to serve openly the ary, sayg that “Bible-believg Christians would quickly fd themselv unwele Barney Frank’s new pansexual, cross-drsg ary.