Anti-LGBT Roundup of Events and Activities
The following is a list of activities and events of anti-LGBT organizations. Organizations listed as anti-LGBT hate groups are designated with an asterisk.
Alliance Defending Freedom*
The Alliance Defending Freedom* (ADF) held a 鈥渞eligious liberty鈥� summit July 11 in Orange County, California,听at which U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions delivered remarks. , and the venue of the event was kept largely secret, July 12 that it was being held at the Ritz-Carlton, Laguna-Niguel in Dana Point, California. The Department of Justice initially refused to release a transcript of Sessions鈥� remarks from the summit. 听on the right-wing website, the Federalist.
ADF is representing Jeff Phillips, a Colorado baker who refused to make a cake for a gay couple鈥檚 wedding in violation of the state鈥檚 anti-discrimination laws. The Supreme Court .
ADF is extremely active nationally in the push for anti-LGBT 鈥渞eligious liberty鈥� laws that give Christians the right to claim religious exemptions with regard to providing goods and services to LGBT people. The group also is working to by encouraging schools to prevent them from using facilities in accordance with their gender identities.
American Family Association*
In response to Defense Secretary James Mattis鈥� of the Obama-era policy that on trans people serving in the military, the American Family Association* (AFA) is encouraging people to contact Congress in order to overturn it. In an email AFA sent out dated July 10, the AFA urges听Congress to 鈥渁ct now and roll back Obama鈥檚 transgender military policy,鈥� which the organization refers to as a 鈥渟ocial experiment.鈥�
The Family Research Council* (FRC) and Liberty Counsel* (LC)听also voiced their opposition to renewing Obama鈥檚 directive. The Liberty Counsel issued a press release that claimed the directive 鈥渞equires officers to approve medically-unnecessary surgeries and harmful, unproven hormone replacement,鈥� though the directive contains no language that indicates such is the case. Liberty Counsel also refers to trans service members and officers as 鈥済ender-confused鈥� and claims that using pronouns with which they identify is 鈥渇alse.鈥�
FRC stated its approval of delaying the participation of transgender people in the military in Tony Perkins鈥� Washington Update on the FRC website. The piece claimed that military costs would skyrocket to provide trans people with gender reassignment surgery and that trans people would then be unable to deploy following surgeries. Furthermore, the piece claims, there would be 鈥減ractical implications鈥� like 鈥渂iological men showering next to women, 鈥榤ale pregnancies,鈥� and off-duty drag.鈥�
AFA also launched a boycott of Target stores in 2016 protesting Target鈥檚 non-discrimination policies that allow trans people to use their facilities in accordance with the gender with which they identify. AFA claims such a policy somehow endangers women and children because it allegedly allows sexual predators into women鈥檚 restrooms and changing areas, a听harmful, that anti-LGBT groups perpetuate against trans people.
The Obama-era (PDF; may not load in some browsers) on trans servicemembers ended the ban on trans people serving in the military. Incoming trans service members must be stable in gender identity for eighteen months prior to signing up, whether in gender identity or with regard to hormone therapy.
The policy also states that a history of sex reassignment or genital reconstruction surgery is disqualifying for service,听unless a licensed medical professional provides evidence that eighteen months have elapsed since the听date of most recent surgery and no functional limitations or complications persist.
Family Research Council*
The Family Research Council* (FRC) will be setting sail for its first-ever cruise July 29-August 5 aboard the ms Eurodam of Holland America. Participants will get a 鈥渂ehind- the-scenes look鈥� at what鈥檚 happening in Washington, D.C. Speakers include: FRC's senior domestic policy adviser Ken Blackwell (a听member of the Trump transition team);听FRC executive vice-president and anti-Islam activist Lt. Gen. (ret.) Jerry Boykin; and former congresswoman Michele Bachmann.
FRC Radio Roundup:
FRC president Tony Perkins does a daily radio show, 鈥淲ashington Watch.鈥� Guests June 26-July 12 included: Everett Piper (president, Oklahoma Wesleyan University) as guest host; Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD); Michael Farris (president, Alliance Defending Freedom*); Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC); Louisiana Solicitor General听Liz Murrill; Rep. Vicki Hartzler (R-MO); Mat Staver (president, Liberty Counsel*; Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN); Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA); Allan Parker (president, Justice Foundation); Rick Green (president, Wallbuilders Live and Patriot Academy); Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL); Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH); Ryan Mauro (Clarion Project*); former Florida Lt. Gov.听Jennifer Carroll; David Kilada (political director, Oregon Right to Life); Rick Hinshaw (director of communications, Catholic League); Sandy Rios (American Family Association*) guest-hosted; David Satter (Hudson Institute senior fellow); former U.S. Senator from Oklahoma Tom Coburn; Rep. Ralph Abraham (R-LA); Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO); Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO); David Daleiden; Curt Levey (president of the Committee for Justice, which was founded to push for judicial nominees).
Hope for Wholeness
The ex-gay Hope for Wholeness Network (HFW) is holding its national conference (鈥淗earts Unite鈥�) July 12-16 at the Ridgecrest Conference Center in Ridgecrest, North Carolina.
The group鈥檚 mission is to shed light on the complicated issues of 鈥渟exual and relational brokenness with special expertise on homosexuality and transgenderism.鈥�
HFW, whose tagline is 鈥渇reedom from homosexuality through Jesus Christ,鈥� was founded in 1999 as an affiliate of Exodus International (Exodus North America is now defunct). According to the website, the name 鈥淗ope for Wholeness鈥� originated as an annual conference. Then the name was given to the ministry鈥檚 creation of the Hope for Wholeness curriculum in 2011听to 鈥渁ssist those affected by homosexuality, and to help those that desire to walk alongside them.鈥�
The HFW website states that, 鈥淗omosexuality (whether in practice or identity), as well as other sexual addictions, is against God鈥檚 plan for mankind.鈥� The site goes on to state that, 鈥淪ame-sex attractions are not chosen, nor is there any scientific evidence to point to genetic causation.鈥�
It听then asserts听that,听though HFW doesn't听believe there is biblical evidence to point to a specific demonic spirit, 鈥淸W]e believe that the demonic realm may play a part in ways such as spiritual taunting, leading others astray, and leading one to harm others through various forms of abuse.鈥�
The site goes on to claim that, 鈥淲e believe that leaving homosexuality is more about becoming a man or woman in Christ, and not merely stopping this or that behavior.鈥� Though site听notes that HFW members听鈥渄o not attempt to alter anyone鈥檚 attractions."
Ex-gay (or reparative) therapy has myriad approaches, but all incorporate the idea that LGBT people are somehow 鈥渂roken鈥� or 鈥渁bnormal鈥� and thus should stop either being gay or engaging in same-sex relationships, or, in the case of trans people, stop trying to be who they feel they truly are.
Judiciary
The Texas Supreme Court for same-sex married couples in . The court originally had declined to hear the case, but reversed itself, from Republican Gov.听Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov.听Dan Patrick and state Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Opponents of same-sex marriage in Houston argued that the city of Houston should not have extended its benefits policy to married same-sex couples. The state Supreme Court threw out a lower court ruling that favored the benefits, sending听the case back听to another听lower court.
The benefits policy was enacted by Houston mayor Annise Parker in 2013, the same year that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the federal government must extend benefits to married same-sex couples. In 2015, the Obergefell ruling made same-sex marriage legal in the U.S.
At issue in the Houston lawsuit was whether Obergefell requires public agencies to provide benefits to same-sex spouses of government employees, as it provides them to opposite-sex couples.
The plaintiffs are 鈥渢wo taxpayers represented by same-sex marriage opponents,鈥� according to ,听which听contended that Houston鈥檚 benefits policy goes further than Obergefell requires.听With this, the Texas Supreme Court agreed.听
Abbott, Patrick, and Paxton filed an (PDF; may not load in some browsers) in October 2016, asking the all-Republican Supreme Court (Texas elects its judges) to reconsider. One legal scholar 鈥渆xtremely strange,鈥� like a 鈥渓ist of ingredients鈥� without a recipe to follow.
Texas Values, an anti-LGBT group headed by attorney Jonathan Saenz, claimed in an email that in October, 鈥淭exas Values formally asked the Texas Supreme Court to reconsider hearing a case against former Mayor Parker (and the City of Houston), who violated the Texas Constitution by issuing same-sex benefits long before the U.S. Supreme Court鈥檚 Obergefell v Hodges same-sex marriage ruling.鈥�
The group then noted that Abbott, Patrick, and Paxton filed a join amicus brief in support of the plaintiffs. Saenz and Texas Values were named in the brief as having received an electronic copy. Saenz of battling LGBT equality. In 2014, he took Texas A&M University to task for offering a special 鈥渓avender graduation ceremony鈥� for LGBT students, saying, 鈥淭his special Texas A&M ceremony essentially promotes and celebrates dangerous and risky sexual activity that can fiercely jeopardize a person's well-being."
An electronic copy of the amicus brief was also provided to Jared Woodfill, a Houston attorney who served as head of the Harris County GOP from 2002-2014. Woodfill helped launch 鈥溾�� in 2016, a virulently anti-trans campaign designed to get people to stop shopping at Target in response to its trans-inclusive policies.
The campaign鈥檚 website alleged that Target鈥檚 policy would allow any man to say that he feels like a woman and can then access the women鈥檚 restrooms in Target stores. The website is no longer available, but New Civil Rights q, 鈥淭he whole concept of 鈥榯ransgender鈥� of course is absurd and irrational. Those who practice this behavior or enable it have adopted perverted thinking.鈥�
Lt. Gov.听Patrick has also worked closely with FRC* with regard to the anti-trans bathroom initiative in the state, which听will be heard as part of a beginning Tuesday, July 17, called by Abbott. During Houston鈥檚 2015 battle over the repeal of its equal protection ordinance, Patrick urging voters to reject the ordinance, which was largely because of anti-trans fear mongering.
for the special session would prevent municipalities from adding classes to nondiscrimination laws that aren鈥檛 already protected under state or federal law.
Should this bill become law, it will override many Texas cities鈥� anti-discrimination ordinances that include LGBT people.
