When Republican Presidential candidates join Tucker Carlson for a forum today at the Family Leadership Summit, they’ll be hosted by two organizations designated by The Southern Poverty Law Center as hate groups.
The Family Leader, who has hosted the summit since 2012, is the state policy affiliate for the Family Research Council, designated by the SPLC as a hate group. And American Family Association Action, also designated as an SPLC hate group, is listed as a platinum sponsor of today’s event.
“Tucker Carlson, Governor Reynolds and every politician holding hands with hate groups today should be ashamed,” said Matt Sinovic, executive director of Progress Iowa. “Their shameless pandering to organizations dedicated to hate represents politics at its ugliest. We need and deserve leaders who bring us together and put the focus on supporting people, not trying to tear us apart with hate.”
Governor Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, Senator Tim Scott, Vivek Ramaswamy, former Governor Nikki Haley, and former Governor Asa Hutchinson are all confirmed to attend, in addition to Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds. Reynolds is expected to sign a near-total abortion ban into law during the summit.
Progress Iowa has provided analysis and firsthand accounts at past Family Leadership Summit events, exposing the dangerous and harmful rhetoric shared by presenters and politicians alike.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Family Research Council is identified by Southern Poverty Law Center as an anti-LGBT Hate Group
“The Family Research Council (FRC) bills itself as “the leading voice for the family in our nation’s halls of power,” but the group’s real specialty is defaming LGBTQ people. FRC often makes false claims about the LGBTQ community based on discredited research and junk science. The intention is to dehumanize LGBTQ people as the organization battles against LGBTQ rights. In the past, this included stances against same-sex marriage, hate-crime laws, anti-bullying programs and the repeal of the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. FRC continues this work but has also revived long-debunked pedophilia and grooming myths in its work against transgender rights, opposition to drag performances, and support for conversion therapy.”
Source: Southern Poverty Law Center Intelligence Files – Family Research Council
The Family Leader is Iowa’s ‘Family Policy Council’ for the Family Research Center
“Family Policy Councils (FPCs) accomplish at the state level what Family Research Council does at the national level”
Source: FRC State Family Policy Councils (listing The Family Leader)
American Family Association, sponsor of the Family Leadership Summit, is identified by Southern Poverty Law Center as an anti-LGBTQ Hate Group
“Initially founded as the National Federation for Decency, the American Family Association (AFA) originally focused on what it considered indecent television programming and pornography. The AFA says it promotes “traditional moral values” in media. A large part of that work involves “combating the homosexual agenda” through various means, including publicizing companies that have pro-gay policies and organizing boycotts against them. The AFA has a variety of outlets to disseminate its message, including the American Family Radio Network, its online OneNewsNow and the monthly AFA Journal. In early 2011, the AFA claimed more than 2 million online supporters and 180,000 subscribers to its Journal.”
Source: Southern Poverty Law Center Intelligence Files – American Family Association
Bob Vander Plaats: America’s most powerful bigot?
(Contains quotes from past summits)
“A local radio host said, “I don’t think the mark of the beast will come in the form of a 666. I think it will be a rainbow.” Attendees were called upon to vote against pro-choice candidates even if they have to vote for “the devil himself.” Another radio host who is now teaming up with Vander Plaats for their own right-wing talk show said “there is a reason the child killers are on the side of the homosexual lobby.”
Source: Salon.com, August 9, 2013
