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Alliance Defending Freedom*

Alliance Defending Freedom听(础顿贵) 聽June 26 with the 11^th Circuit of the U.S. District Court of Appeals in a 2016 lawsuit in which the group sued Georgia Gwinnett College over its campus speech guidelines. The lawsuit was originally filed because a student said a college official told him he couldn鈥檛 distribute pamphlets about his Christian faith where he was standing on the campus. ADF sued the school on free speech grounds on behalf of the student.

Last month, a U.S. district court judge ruled in favor of the college鈥檚 motion to dismiss the lawsuit, saying that the college had resolved the main issues in the case by revising its policy with regard to how and where groups and students can speak on the campus. ADF filed the appeal because it claims their client鈥檚 constitutional rights have not been vindicated, and that college officials 鈥渞epeatedly censored鈥� the student.

June 15, ADF legal counsel Travis Barnham 聽(TPUSA) Women鈥檚 Leadership Conference in Dallas and compared leftists to Nazis and communists, saying that in Winston Churchill鈥檚 day,

"He observed that they [Nazis and communists] are the same thing spelled in different ways. Today, we could add radical leftists to that list, as they share the same philosophies and authoritarian tendencies, though thankfully not the same murderous tactics. Again borrowing from Churchill, like the communists and Nazis, radical leftists tolerate no opinion but their own. Like the communists and Nazis, they feed on hatred. Like the communists and Nazis, they must seek from time to time and always at shorter intervals, a new target, a new prize, a new victim."

TPUSA officials have been linked to racist statements and white nationalists, and Juan Pablo Andrade, an attendee at a Florida TPUSA conference (who had served as a TPUSA field director in 2015) was during that event saying, 鈥渢he only thing the Nazis didn鈥檛 get right is they didn鈥檛 keep f------ going!鈥� Andrade made the remarks to a white nationalist activist in a hotel room for which TPUSA paid.

American Family Association*

Michael F. Haverluck, a contributor at OneNewsNow, the American Family News Network website run by the American Family Association聽(AFA), wrote an article posted June 20 lamenting the change of an elementary school鈥檚 name from that of Confederate general J.E.B. Stuart to Barack Obama.

In language reminiscent of early 20^th-century pro-Confederate 鈥淟ost Cause鈥� narratives, Haverluck speaks of the Confederacy as something being forever lost, much to the country鈥檚 detriment.

Under a subheading that read 鈥淔orgetting the past,鈥� Haverluck stated, 鈥淛.E.B. Stuart鈥�whose name will soon be all but forgotten at the elementary school, served in the Confederate Army as a general in Virginia and was close to one of the civil War鈥檚 most celebrated heroes.鈥�

Further on, under the subheading 鈥淭earing Down Richmond鈥檚 Past?鈥�, Haverluck continues, 鈥淭he significance of Richmond鈥檚 school board voting to replace the name of a Civil War cavalry general with Obama鈥檚 could be ushering in the floodgates to wash away the city鈥檚 Confederate past.鈥�

Haverluck concludes:

"Conservative critics fear that schools adopting Obama's name to replace Confederate generals opens the door to indoctrination up to the former president's politically correct, anti-white social justice worldview, as well as ushering in his ultra-leftist agenda promoting abortion, LGBTQ 'rights,'聽immigration reform, climate change, gun control, pro-Palestinian/anti-Israeli perspective, and anti-'Islamophobia'聽campaigns."

Haverluck has also been a * and conspiracy-ridden WND. Other articles he has written include one in which he 聽Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin to the Muslim Brotherhood (a popular anti-Muslim conspiracy theory) and another posted at the virulently anti-Muslim site SaveMySweden, about the refugee crisis in 2016 with regard to Switzerland.

, under the subheading 鈥淓uropean Refugee Invasion,鈥� Haverluck wrote, 鈥淪witzerland is not alone in its bombardment of Muslim refugees milking the system and infiltrating its neighborhoods.鈥� He went on to write about Germany and claimed, 鈥淢any Muslim migrants have actively set out to exploit the liberal immigration policies set forth by the European Union.鈥� The SaveMySweden site includes pages with such titles as 鈥淢uslims rape,鈥� 鈥淢uslims terror,鈥� and 鈥淪wedestan.鈥�

AFA鈥檚 Bryan Fischer has made similar statements, claiming over the years that 聽and he has 聽Muslims from the country because 鈥淚slam is the Ebola virus of culture.鈥�

Family Research Council*

Family Research Council president Tony Perkins hosts a daily radio show, 鈥淲ashington Watch.鈥� Guests from June 12-June 27 have included Dennis Prager (founder, PragerU); Dan Gainor (Media Research Center); Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC); Rep. Dave Brat (R-VA); Chris Wilson (CEO, WPA Intelligence); Jack Hibbs (Pastor, Calvary Chapel Chino Hills); Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ); Jack Graham (pastor, Prestonwood Baptist Church, Plano, TX); Jeremy Roberts (pastor, Brushy Creek Baptist Church, Taylors, SC); Rep. Roger Marshall (R-KS); Ken Canfield (founder, National Center of Fathering); Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA); Robert Gagnon (former Pittsburgh Theological Seminary associate professor); Richard Mack (Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association); Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ); Attorney General Jeff Sessions; Lori Baker (professor of forensics, Baylor University); Frank Gaffney ( Center for Security Policy*); David and Jason Benham (the Benham brothers); Gov. Phil Bryant (R-MS); Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH); Ken Cuccinelli (president, Senate Conservatives Fund); Everett Piper (president, Oklahoma Wesleyan University); Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN); Ken Guinn (mayor, Ocala, FL); Albert Reyes (CEO, Buckner International); Rep. Steve Russell (R-OK); Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK); Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD); Ronnie Floyd (president, National Day of Prayer)

Liberty Counsel*

The Liberty Counsel聽(LC) has created a 鈥� 鈥� for Indiana parents who don鈥檛 want their kids exposed to sex education in schools.

The form, which the Indiana affiliate of AFA (AFA-IN) , is a response to (Public Law 154), 鈥淚nstruction on human sexuality,鈥� a Republican bill that was signed into law by the Indiana governor on March 21. The law requires each 鈥渟chool corporation鈥� to 鈥渕ake available for inspection to a parent of a student instructional material used in connection with instruction on human sexuality.鈥� The school must also provide a written request for consent.

The bill was pushed by right-wing groups, including AFA-IN. According to the AFA-IN website,

"AFA of Indiana and other pro-family groups worked to successfully pass legislation in the Indiana General Assembly giving parents better information about what is being taught to their child before it happens, in any class, if it involves certain subjects."

According to AFA-IN, Liberty Counsel to every public school superintendent in Indiana informing them that if 鈥減arental desires are not respected,鈥� LC will represent the parents in court to 鈥減rotect their rights and their child.鈥�

The letter includes lurid descriptions of alleged sex ed curricula, and includes a long list of things schools should alert parents about with regard to sex ed, including advertisements regarding groups, organizations or extracurricular clubs that addresses 鈥渟exual activity, sexual orientation, or gender identity whether under the guise of 鈥榖ullying鈥� or other rationale.鈥�

The letter is signed by attorney Mary E. McAlister, whose states that she is 鈥淐onservative Christian Wife Mother Lawyer Seeking to stop the satanic sexualization of our children and the destruction of the family.鈥�

The opt-out form, like the form letter, targets specific organizations with regard to sex ed, all of which are groups that right-wing Christians vehemently disagree with, including Planned Parenthood, the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States, and Advocates for Youth and National Sexuality Education Standards. The form lists the groups so that parents can opt out of having their children participate in sex ed curriculum that includes sourcing from the organizations.

The form also targets subjects parents can opt their children out of, including abortion, birth control, sexual orientation and 鈥淸t]ransgenderism or gender identity, including but not limited to gender as social construct; gender binary; gender spectrum; gender reassignment surgery, gender dysphoria, false gender pronouns, gender expression, or cross-sex hormones.鈥�

The form finishes with LC offering 鈥渓egal assistance at no charge鈥� and to report a 鈥渧iolation of Indiana Public Law 154鈥� to AFA-IN or fellow anti-LGBT Indiana group Advance America.

National Organization for Marriage

The National Organization for Marriage appears to have quietly cancelled its fifth annual anti-LGBT 鈥淢arch for Marriage,鈥� which had been slated for June 23 in Washington, D.C.

In a 聽noted that last year鈥檚 march drew about 47, including babies, and further pointed out that the march was supposed to have been four days earlier. According to the blog, NOM president Brian Brown hasn鈥檛 mentioned the 2018 March for Marriage in months, and the website for it has an expired security certificate.

However, NOM has launched a new campaign that they鈥檙e calling 鈥�&.鈥� That is, the ampersand, with further explanation as 鈥�1ManAnd1Woman.鈥�

In an email sent out June 26, Brown again decried the Supreme Court鈥檚 Obergefell ruling in 2015 that legalized same-sex marriage (June 26 is the anniversary), referring to it as 鈥渙ne of the most illegitimate, anti-constitutional decisions in history.鈥� Today, however, Brown continued, 鈥渨e are taking a symbolic action to continue our opposition to this illegitimate decision by launching the & campaign.鈥�

The campaign鈥檚 logo鈥攁 big yellow ampersand on a blue background鈥攃an be downloaded to use as a profile picture on social media. ThinkProgress 聽that NOM鈥檚 鈥�&鈥� campaign appears to be attempting to mimic the Human Rights Campaign鈥檚 iconic yellow equal sign on a blue background.

According to the NOM email,

"This campaign is a simple and straight-forward thing we can do to emphasize the core, immutable, universal nature of marriage鈥攎arriage is one man and one woman. Man AND woman. Period. Marriage brings the two halves of humanity together for their own benefit, and for the benefit of any children born of their union. Marriage cannot be redefined by any politician, judge, legislature or court."

Brown called for people to keep the ampersand up on social media, a 鈥渟mall but important step to show that NOM will never give up on our commitment to marriage and to restoring marriage to the law.鈥�

Judicial, Legislative, federal

Massachusetts House overwhelmingly approves ban on conversion therapy for minors

Massachusetts , 聽June 26 by a vote of 137-14, would prohibit any state-licensed mental health professional from conducting conversion therapy on someone under the age of 18 who seeks to change their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Healthcare providers who advertise or perform such therapy would be subject to disciplinary action from their licensing boards, which could include losing their licenses. A therapist would still be allowed to help someone cope with issues surrounding their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Non-licensed religious counselors are not affected by the bill.

Conversion therapy聽(also known as ex-gay or reparative therapy) is a harmful and pseudoscientific practice that presumes LGBT people are somehow sick or abnormal and need to be 鈥渇ixed.鈥� It has been banned in 13 states.

The bill will now go to the Senate. If it passes there, it will go to the governor to sign.

Federal court denies another attempt to implement a ban on transgender troops in the military

A federal court in Seattle, Washington ruled June 15 against the Trump administration in its attempt to ban trans troops from serving openly in the U.S. military, .

The ruling in the lawsuit, brought by Lambda Legal and OutServe-SLDN and joined by the state of Washington, denied the Trump administration鈥檚 motion to stay the preliminary injunction the court had granted in December 2017, which blocked the ban鈥檚 implementation and allowed transgender people to enlist in the military beginning January 1, 2018.

The Trump administration had sought a stay ruling from the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington in order to enable the Pentagon to implement the ban while it appealed the court鈥檚 April 13, 2018 ruling that affirmed the preliminary injunction to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

The April 13 ruling rejected the administration鈥檚 claim that its plan to ban transgender people from serving openly passed muster. Rather, the court found that the plan was, as Lambda Legal noted, 鈥渁 retread of the original ban, not a new policy, threatening the very same constitutional violations.鈥� The court also found that the effort to ban trans people from the military 鈥渕ust meet the most demanding level of scrutiny because it so clearly targets transgender people,鈥� Lambda Legal said.

The case is scheduled to go on trial April 2019.

Supreme Court sends Arlene鈥檚 Flowers case back to lower court for review

In a decision June 25, the Supreme Court sent the case of Arlene鈥檚 Flowers v. State of Washington , vacating an earlier decision by that court against the florist, which was instructed to take another look at the case.

The case started in 2013, when florist Barronelle Stutzman, owner of Arlene鈥檚 Flowers in Richland, Washington, refused to make an arrangement for a customer鈥檚 wedding. The customer, Robert Ingersoll, was marrying Curt Freed. Stutzman claimed her religious principles did not allow her to create arrangements for same-sex weddings, which had been legalized in Washington the year before.

The couple and the state both sued and won in state courts. Stutzman鈥檚 legal team 鈥� led by Alliance Defending Freedom* 鈥� appealed to the state supreme court, which 聽that Stutzman had violated a state anti-discrimination law by refusing to provide the flowers. ADF then appealed to the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court had put Arlene鈥檚 Flowers on hold while it decided the Masterpiece Cakeshop case, which it ended up 聽specific to the dispute, saying that the Colorado baker had faced religious hostility from members of the state civil rights commission that had ruled against him. That ruling was issued in early June.

Stutzman鈥檚 lawyers now 聽to attempt to convince the Washington State Supreme Court to rule in her favor. If it does not, the case can again be appealed to the Supreme Court.

Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy to retire

After 31 years on the Supreme Court, Justice Anthony Kennedy announced June 25 that he will step down. He was appointed to the court by President Ronald Reagan in 1987.

Though presumed conservative, Kennedy 鈥渆volved into one of the court鈥檚 most unpredictable jurists,鈥� . He wrote some of the country鈥檚 most important decisions regarding LGBT rights that helped shift the country鈥檚 treatment of LGBT people, including the historic 2015 Obergefell decision, which granted same-sex couples the right to marry nationwide. Kennedy also served as a crucial jurist in abortion rights cases, siding with more liberal justices in turning back conservative challenges to the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.

But Kennedy has also helped cement conservative principles in some of the most controversial rulings in American politics. He wrote the opinion in Citizens United, which gave corporations the right to make unlimited campaign contributions, and sided with conservative justices on gun rights. In 2000, Kennedy sided with the conservative justices in Bush v. Gore, which handed the presidency to George W. Bush.

With Kennedy鈥檚 retirement, anti-LGBT and anti-choice groups now have an opportunity to undermine the permanence of the liberal cases that he shaped, and roll back LGBT and reproductive rights. Kennedy鈥檚 retirement has far greater impact than the selection of conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch, who was simply replacing another conservative, the late Justice Antonin Scalia.

Trump will most likely pick a justice from a list of 25 names聽聽that was shaped by the White House counsel聽, the conservative Federalist Society and the Heritage Foundation.