
BLOCKING PROGRESS & ADVANCING HATE
How anti-LGBT national organizations and their state partners are preventing equal rights in the statehouses and communities.
By Josh Israel, Accountable for Equality
Efforts to enact protections in state legislatures, local governments, and public school systems are frequently stymied by religious right activists organized by a loose coalition of national hate groups, conservative policy think tanks, and state “family” organizations. Armed with misinformation, legal threats, and a heckler’s veto, the anti-LGBTQ minority often prevails, scaring elected officials into taking no action or even retrogression.
This report will examine who these groups are and how they do it. A survey of major LGBTQ equality organizations found that while the local players vary, the experiences tends to be similar in state after state: state groups, backed by national organizations, mobilizing opposition to equality and convincing elected officials to back off.