The Alliance Defending Freedom recently argued that laws to prevent the dangerous and discredited practice of conversion therapy violate freedom of speech and religion

NEW YORK – GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, today denounced the White House for their “Generation Next: A White House Forum,” which will include a panel on free speech with Tyson Langhofer, a lawyer for the Southern Poverty Law Center-designated anti-LGBTQ hate group Alliance Defending Freedom, followed by President Trump being interviewed by anti-LGBTQ activist Charlie Kirk, and another panel moderated by Trump’s anti-LGBTQ Director of Strategic Communications Mercedes Schlapp. 

“Trump has surrounded himself with anti-LGBTQ activists who have systematically targeted the transgender community and openly defended the vile and discredited practice of conversion therapy,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, President and CEO of GLAAD. “From delivering countless speeches to fringe groups united around hatred towards LGBTQ Americans to bringing them through the White House gates, President Trump continues to lead a culture war against the LGBTQ community at every turn.”

To accurately report this event reporters have the responsibility to put those involved in full context for their readers, listeners, and viewers by including information on their anti-LGBTQ records. The Alliance Defending Freedom has a vast anti-LGBTQ record resulting in their designation as an anti-LGBTQ hate group and recently argued that laws to prevent the dangerous and discredited practice of conversion therapy is a violation of free speech. Charlie Kirk has said that requiring businesses to follow non-discrimination laws and serve LGBTQ people is “exactly the same things” as forcing a Jewish artist to paint neo-Nazi materials and that validating transgender identity is “non-biological’ and “harmful to society.” Moderator Mercedes Schlapp believes that LGBTQ people “shove their liberal ideology in the face of others, in our schools and in the public square.”

BACKGROUND: Charlie Kirk’s Anti-LGBTQ Record

• Said it is “fascism” that a baker has to equally sell a cake to a same-sex couple, then wrongly claims it is “exactly the same thing” as forcing a Jewish artist to print neo-Nazi materials.

• Believes that validating transgender identity is “non-biological’ and “harmful to society.”

• Said that university that provide trans-inclusive services “are harboring anti-science, anti-biology teaching in an attempt to advance radical post-modernist ideas that will destabilize everything we know to be true.”

• Falsely claims: ”there are only two genders.”

• Excused Trump’s policy to ban trans soldiers because “the military is not a social experiment”

• Tweeted a news story about a gender-neutral high school event with the line “when you think it can’t get any worse.”

• Tweeted: “At a Starbucks this morning & the baristas had their approved gender pronouns. We are creating a society of people waiting to be offended.”

• Claims a baker serving gay couples equally constitutes “forc[ing] artists to create art at the point of a gun.”

BACKGROUND: Mercedes Schlapp’s Anti-LGBTQ Record

• Argued that President Obama’s support for marriage equality was a “political ploy” that “represents the worst in politics.”

• Criticized LGBTQ rights activists for protesting anti-LGBTQ Vice President Mike Pence, saying Pence was “tagged as the enemy because he is Christian and believes in traditional values on marriage and supports religious freedoms” and that LGBTQ people “shove their liberal ideology in the face of others, in our schools and in the public square.”

• Pushed the myth that “two-thirds of Americans oppose the Obama guidelines on the transgender bathrooms.” [Quote starts at 5:20] Her numbers seemed to be based on right wing Rasmussen poll, which is an outlier even among past Rasmussen polls; more credible polling puts opposition at just over 50%.

• Advocated for “ensuring protection of religious liberties for those who believe in traditional marriage.” [Quote starts at 1:11:00]

• Gave policy speeches to anti-LGBTQ organizations like Heritage Foundation & Clare Booth Luce Institute.

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