This hate group is squeezing the life out of the Constitution & it is up to all of us to stop it

Scottsdale has a little something for anyone who visits: world-class golf courses, western cowboy heritage, and bougie shopping centers. Oh, and for those who like their dark side with a dash of sinister, it’s also a thriving hub of alt-right hate.

Scottsdale is home to ADF – the “alliance defending freedom” group that has snagged itself the coveted title of “hate group” from the Southern Poverty Law Center.

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ADF has been knee-deep in legal battles since its inception, fighting against same-sex marriage and abortion rights. It supported the repeal of Roe v Wade, for example, which ‘gave birth’ to some of the most stringent abortion laws in US history. Most recently, the organization’s mission has shifted to turning life for transgender individuals in Republican-leaning states into a living hell.

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First, the group crusaded against genderless bathrooms. Then, it took up arms against the so-called LGBTQ+ demons they claim are threatening to groom children. Now, they’re going after trans healthcare. And that’s just scratching the surface. So, without further ado, let’s delve into who ADF is and why can’t they sit on their hands instead. 

ADF was founded in 1994 by a bunch of Christian leaders, each with their own agendas. As such, ADF ensured that one roof housed all interests. One notable – and particularly controversial – founding figure is James Dobson. You may know him as the man who claimed that the Sandy Hook shooting was God’s punishment for the declining number of people attending mass on Sunday.

The founders’ goals: Turn back the clocks on a woke-ticking time bomb, fight the ‘myth’ that (to them) is the separation of church and state, and re-criminalize homosexuality. Or, in their subtle wording, “to defend religious freedom before it’s too late.” And one thing is sure – they got their branding on point. After all, Alliance Defending Freedom sounds more like a group of people convicted to protect freedom, not one to revoke it. But that they did. 

Over the years, the group became more significant, racking in donations left, right, and center and gaining the support akin to a superstar. On their website, it is also possible to donate towards their modest goal of 4.6 billion dollars, inviting supporters to help meet the critical year-end deadline. It turns out that even hate is affected by inflation and the rising cost of living.

According to the Trans Legislation Tracker, over 558 bills essentially aiming to erase the existence of trans people have been introduced in just the first six months of this year. And guess who (in most cases) is the common denominator in most of them? Yep, ADF.

After spouting hate all day, the para-legal group works around the clock in every nook and cranny of the US legal system. They train freshly pressed law graduates to become crusaders of Christ through their in-house legal training program called The Blackstone Legal Fellowship. And if that weren’t enough, they’re also behind most legislation that seeks to transform the U.S. into a theocratic state straight out of The Handmaid’s Tale. 

Moreover, their influence has extended to the institution supposedly protecting American Democracy – the Supreme Court. In the past, ADF has worked closely with Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett. In 2011, GLAAD, an LGBTQ+ American NGO that monitors media, revealed that Justice Barrett had been paid on five separate occasions to deliver speeches to the Blackstone Legal Fellowship program – talk about bias.

In a chilling deviation from James Bond’s iconic slogan, “license to kill,” ADF has seemingly granted itself a sinister “license to discriminate.” This organization has unapologetically backed numerous business owners who have denied service or employment opportunities to LGBTQ+ individuals, perpetuating a distressing pattern of discrimination. 

One striking case exemplifies this: Lexington-Fayette Urban County Human Rights Commission v. Hands on Originals, where a Kentucky print company refused service to LGBTQ+ pride festival organizers. With ADF’s unwavering support, the appeals court ruled in favor of the printer, cementing a profoundly concerning precedent.

The case of Country Mill Farms v. City of East Lansing is similarly alarming. In this instance, a Michigan farmer refused to host a same-sex marriage ceremony. Consequently, the farmer was banned from selling at the farmer’s market. 

Seeking legal support, the Michigan farmer turned to ADF, which led to the ban being overturned through a court order. This distressingly demonstrates how ADF’s backing can enable the success of legally supported discrimination, perpetuating a deeply troubling cycle.

On June 30, 2023, the Supreme Court reached a decision in favor of 303 Creative v Elenis. This case involved a Colorado web designer named Lorie Smith, represented by ADF, who claimed Colorado’s anti-discrimination law made her too scared to make heterosexual wedding websites and thus curtailed her freedom of speech. Last month, Melissa Gira Grant, a journalist from The New Republic, discovered Smith had lied about the fact that a gay couple had ever asked her to create a website for their wedding. It was also discovered that she did make a wedding website for a straight couple named Matt and Hollie Cortex, thus disproving her argument.

Grant’s article states, “Here is what we know—though, to be frank, I do not know what we have learned from this yearslong mystery, other than it looks like Smith and her attorneys (ADF) have, perhaps unwittingly, invented a gay couple in need of a wedding website in a case in which they argue that same-sex marriages are “false.”’

Other notable cases are Dobbs v. Jackson (2022), American for Prosperity Foundation v. Bonta (2021) and Burwell v. Hobby Lobby (2014). 

If all that weren’t enough, ADF’s claws have reached across oceans, thwarting dozens of pro-LGBTQ+ bills abroad.

In 2010 – a year of many successful accreditations – ADF gained special consultive status in the United Nations, allowing their attorneys to intervene at treaty drafting meetings. In the same year, the organization was accepted in the EU transparency – somewhat ironic – registry, allowing it to have a say in the European policy-making process and has since (according to their website) “provided numerous expert opinions and keynote addresses to European Parliament committees and inter-groups.”

ADF has also worked to either criminalize or block the progress of pro-LGBTQ+ laws in many countries, including Italy, France, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, and Jamaica. However, the most notable ones are in Belize, Russia and India. 

In Belize, a legal battle has been fought for three years over a criminal statute that can lead to imprisonment for consensual same-sex acts. Section 53 of Belize’s criminal code, which imposes a 10-year sentence for such acts, is being challenged for its constitutionality. ADF supported the government’s cause. 

In 2013, Benjamin Bull, the former director of ADF Global, commended Indian officials and the supreme court for re-criminalizing homosexuality and making it punishable by ten years. 

In 2014, ADF embarked on a journey to Russia, where they joined a planning committee associated with the World Congress of Families, an organization known for promoting hate against the LGBTQ+ community. Their purpose was to assist in organizing a conference in Russia. In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the conference was ultimately canceled. However, during their stay, the planning committee reportedly held meetings with Yelena Mizulina, a member of the Russian parliament and a key figure in developing anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in Russia.

The actions of ADF and the outcomes of these cases paint a troubling picture of a legal landscape that allows discriminatory practices to prevail. By championing businesses and individuals who refuse to treat LGBTQ+ individuals with dignity and respect, ADF dangerously perpetuates an atmosphere of inequality and intolerance.

Backed by billions of dollars, legal training programs, and ‘friends’ in the right places, it’s hard to fathom how far ADF has gone – and will still go. If borders are not the limit, what is? The sky? Or perhaps the supernational bodies like the EU and the United Nations that ADF has diligently nestled itself into? 

It is crucial for the LGBTQ+ community (and everybody else) to remain vigilant and steadfast in promoting equality, justice, and inclusivity for all. To be aware of ADF’s presence is no longer sufficient. As the group’s claws steadily grip the constitution, its power grows. 

As we approach the forthcoming 2024 elections, the cycle of civic responsibility once again takes the spotlight in our society. We, the people, are invited to exercise our constitutional right to cast a vote, to articulate our views on who should make the decisions that shape our collective lives. By participating in the democratic process, we reaffirm our commitment to justice and fairness.  

Undeniably, recent years have been troubling, marked by disheartening developments in which the rights of our transgender brothers and sisters have been openly undermined. 

Our collective voices, unified and resounding, have the potential to echo, shaping the socio-political landscape for generations to come. Therefore, let us not whisper but roar, louder than ever before. It is incumbent upon us to denounce and counteract the reprehensible activities of ADF, whose actions sow division and discord in our communities.