18 Anti-Gay Groups and Their Propaganda | Southern Poverty Law Center

Contents:

• 18 ANTI-GAY GROUPS AND THEIR PROPAGANDA
• 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)
• DON'T LET THAT RABOW LOGO FOOL YOU: THE 9 CORPORATNS DONATED MILLNS TO ANTI-GAY POLICIANS
• GROUPS OPPOSED TO GAY RIGHTS RAKE LNS AS STAT BATE ANTI-LGBTQ BILLS

18 ANTI-GAY GROUPS AND THEIR PROPAGANDA

Ron DeSantis signed a so-lled “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” law, rtrictg rmatn about LGBTQ people that state’s public schools and leavg LGBTQ young people fear for their safety. Anti-LGBTQ groups primarily nsist of Christian Right groups but also clu such anizatns as the Natnal Associatn for Rearch and Therapy of Homosexualy (NARTH) that purport to be scientific. 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 groups’ fluence reach far beyond what their size would suggt, bee the “facts” they dissemate about homosexualy are often amplified by certa policians, other groups and even news anizatns.

Lively first emerged as an anti-gay activist when he beme munitns director for the Oregon Cizens Alliance, which was backg that state’s notor Measure 9 vote 1992.

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 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. In a 2007 open letter to the Rsian people, he asserted that “homosexualy is a personaly disorr that volv var, often dangero sexual addictns and aggrsive, anti-social impuls. A month after Lively left the untry, a bill was troduced that lled for the ath penalty for certa homosexual acts and prison for those who fail to disclose gays’ inti.

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. In a 2010 “actn alert, ” the AFA warned that if homosexuals are allowed to openly serve the ary, “your son or dghter may be forced to share ary showers and barracks wh active and open homosexuals.

Amerins for Tth About Homosexualy (AFTAH) was formed as a part-time venture 1996 by long-time gay-basher Peter LaBarbera, who reanized 2006 as a much more ser and fluential, if often vic, operatn. 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. AFTAH is notable for s postg of the utterly discreded work of Pl Cameron (of the Fay Rearch Instute; see below), who has claimed that gays and lbians live vastly shorter liv than heterosexuals.

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

The same year, he posted an open letter to the Lhuanian people om long-time gay-basher Stt Lively (see Abidg Tth Mistri, above), who has ma a seri of false claims about gays nng the German Nazi Party. In the piece posted to the AFTAH webse, Lively said homosexuals are tryg to take away ee speech om all opponents of gays and to silence all relig opns on the matter. The AFTAH se repeats bog claims like the ia that a proposed bill California would “promote cross-drsg, sex-change operatns, bisexualy and homosexualy” to krgartners and other children.

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. ” More recently, while hostg Amerin Visn’s “The Gary DeMar Show” December 2009, Joel McDurmon, the group’s rearch director, agreed that the Bible do ll for killg homosexuals. 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.

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

Wh regard to that last, said: “Homosexuals have turned away om humbly worshippg the te and livg God and his transcennt moral orr orr to make an idol out of their sexual perversn and chaos. 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. 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.

While at CWA, on April 12, 2007, Barber suggted agast all the evince that there were only a “miscule number” of anti-gay hate crim and most of those “may very well be rooted dulent reports. CWA long relied on and displayed Knight’s articl and talkg pots, cludg claims that “homosexualy rri enormo physil and mental health risks” and “gay marriage entic children to experiment wh homosexualy. Print Wendy Wright said this Augt that gay activists were g same-sex marriage “to doctrate children schools to reject their parents’ valu and to harass, sue and punish people who disagree.