Savana Asay, Junior
Several anti-LGBTQ organizations have been collecting millions of dollars from supporters, which is affecting whether or not anti-LGBTQ laws will be passed in many states. This could lead to bigger problems in the U.S. if no actions are taken to prevent it. These hate groups are growing in contributions and in numbers, which has given them the power to take high ranking positions in the government and the justice system.
The Southern Poverty Law Center has identified eleven nonprofit anti-LGBTQ hate groups. These groups were reported to take in over $110 million in contributions at the end of the financial year of 2020. In four years, their total reported revenue increased by over twenty-five percent and it is indicated that the growth continued to increase in 2021.
Most of the participants are churches, which does not contribute to the total revenue because they are not required to disclose their finances. This means that anti-LGBTQ hate groups have brought in way over twenty-five percent increase in contributions — it is actually closer to thirty to forty percent more.
The hate groups are not only increasing in revenue, but they are also increasing in supporters and power. During the 2020 election, the Trump team formed an evangelical executive advisory board, putting the white evangelical Protestants into higher ranks of the government. This could lead to them completing their agenda, and swaying high ranked government officials into passing bills and laws that they have created.
Most of these organizations are against LGBTQ rights because they believe they are a threat to society. According to Scoot McCoy, a member of the Southern Poverty Law Center, “Many of these groups assert that LGBTQ people are a threat to society itself. That kind of extremist rhetoric and belief is part of what goes into our decision-making process,” pointing out one group in particular, Westboro Baptist Church, justifies violence against LGBTQ members. McCoy has stated (to NBC News) that he believes there are core members of the anti-LGBTQ movements, like the Family Research Council, the Alliance Defending Freedom, Liberty Counsel, and the American College of Pediatricians.
Proof of this could be found in the timeline of increasing profits for the anti-LGBTQ hate groups. Looking at one organization, the Alliance Defending Freedom organization, based in Scottsdale, Arizona, more than doubled their contributions, going from over $34.5 million in 2011 to more than $76 million in 2021. More evidence can be found on their website where they state they aim to secure “generational wins,” and to ensure “the law respects God’s creative order for marriage, the family, and human sexuality.” Liberty Counsel, another alleged hate group, has stated that the organization is “neither anti-LGBTQ nor a hate group.” Evidence shows that the group was a contributor to the Parental Rights in Education Bill passed in Florida on Monday, March 28th, 2022. The organization’s contributions have increased tremendously; they are based in Orlando, Florida, leading the SPLC to believe that they are indeed a part of the anti-LGBTQ hate groups and have landed a spot on their hate groups list.
The Parental Rights in Education Bill states that “classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity” is prohibited in the state of Florida. Many say that this law could potentially harm young LGBTQ members as it creates an antagonistic educational environment. However, Republican state Representative Joe Harding, who introduced the bill, states that the law is about “empowering parents.” Last month, Joe Harding defended the bill in a blog post for the Family Research Council, which is a SPLC-designated anti-LGBTQ hate group — and has been since 2011.
Meanwhile, Congress is debating passing the Equality Act, which would “prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation and gender identity” (Richardson), and would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Even if Congress did pass the law, all Senate Democrats and Democrat-aligned senators, as well as ten Senate Republicans would need to vote in favor of the law to overcome the Parental Rights in Education Bill.
However, if this did happen the law could still possibly meet its demise when in the courts. The Supreme Court is known for affirming LGBTQ rights, but conservatives are now demanding a solid majority. Newest member of the Supreme Court, Justice Amy Coney Barrett, has a history with anti-LGBTQ hate groups. This could lead to discrimination against the defendant and possibly an unjust court system.
Anti-LGBTQ hate groups are growing more and more every year in contributions and in numbers, despite the new found sense of equality and love in society. With these groups growing, they are seeping into high ranks of the government and the justice system. As of right now, the groups have had the effect on whether or not states will pass anti-LGBTQ bills or not. There are no known actions being taken to prevent discrimination in the U.S., which could potentially lead to bigger predicaments.
Sources:
Richardson, Stuart. "Groups opposed to gay rights rake in millions as states debate anti-LGBTQ bills." NBC News, Mar. 2022. NBC News, www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/groups-opposed-gay-rights-rake-millions-states-debate-anti-lgbtq-bills-rcna21016. Accessed 29 Mar. 2022.
Silbiger, Sarah. Members of the Alliance Defending Freedom gather outside the Supreme Court on June 4, 2018, to support the decision in Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. NBC News, 23 Mar. 2022, www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/groups-opposed-gay-rights-rake-millions-states-debate-anti-lgbtq-bills-rcna21016. Accessed 29 Mar. 2022.
Zalubowski, David. James Dobson waits for President Donald Trump to speak at a campaign rally in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Feb. 20, 2020. NBC News, 23 Mar. 2022, www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/groups-opposed-gay-rights-rake-millions-states-debate-anti-lgbtq-bills-rcna21016. Accessed 29 Mar. 2022.
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