Anti-LGBT activists: Trump presents ‘window of opportunity’ to reverse reforms
The new head of evangelical Christian group Alliance Defending Freedom says Donald Trump’s election presents a “window of opportunity” for push-back against LGBT reforms.
Christian activist Mike Farris this week became head of Alliance Defending Freedom, one of the most powerful right-wing Christian lobbying groups in America.
The activist, who took over from founder Alan Sears, cited pushing back against equal marriage as a priority.
Speaking on the group’s Freedom Matters podcast, he said: “When I see problems I am compelled in my DNA to run towards the fight, and ADF’s cluster of problems are where I feel called to help solve those problems. My goal here is to win.
“Winning means religious freedom is robustly protected. Winning means Roe versus Wade is reversed. Winning means that same-sex marriage by judicial edict is reversed, and we go back to the states and let the states make their own policy on this.
“I believe we can win – I have no illusions that will be easy. I know the other side is well-organised, well-funded, smart and they don’t play fair. I’m not naive in believing we can win, I believe we can win because I’ve seen God deliver before.
“At the national level, there is going to be a window of opportunity. If we can’t move and take advantage of that right now, we’re squandering an opportunity. It’s time to beef up the efforts on that front and make sure the product that is delivered is the same as the product that’s promised.”
One of President-elect Trump’s few direct policy pledges was to sign the First Amendment Defence Act, which would permit businesses to discriminate against LGBT people on the grounds of religion.
In addition to his pledge to sign FADA, senior Republicans have reportedly received assurances that the President-elect will revoke Obama’s executive orders on LGBT rights, which extended some anti-discrimination protections to LGBT federal contractors. He also plans to appoint more social conservatives to the Supreme Court, who may erase the court’s current majority in favour of LGBT protections.
The ADF has recently focused fire on anti-discrimination protections for LGBT people, filing a string of spurious lawsuits aimed at weakening provisions.
The group has opposed same-sex weddings, gay adoptions, civil unions, and even the repeal of Sodomy laws, strongly opposing the 2003 Supreme Court decision to strike down state laws banning gay sex.
Though other US-based groups have moved away from the overt ‘anti-Sodomy’ agenda, the ADF continues to fight for laws criminalising gay sex overseas, and was caught waging a campaign to keep gay sex illegal in Belize.
