{"id":506447,"date":"2022-07-01T15:44:52","date_gmt":"2022-07-01T15:44:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/glaad.logalt.net\/tap\/moms-liberty\/"},"modified":"2024-09-27T17:22:36","modified_gmt":"2024-09-27T21:22:36","slug":"moms-liberty","status":"publish","type":"gap","link":"https:\/\/glaad.org\/gap\/moms-liberty\/","title":{"rendered":"Moms for Liberty (M4L)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Moms For Liberty (M4L) was founded in January 2021 claiming it will \u201corganize, educate and empower parents to defend their parental rights.\u201d This advocacy has included calls for book bans, classroom censorship, and bans on teaching about slavery, race, racism and LGBTQ people and history. <\/span>Moms for Liberty <\/span>bills itself<\/span><\/a> as a \u201cgrassroots organization of moms,\u201d but its founders and founding chapter have strong ties to high-ranking elected officials and financial support from national anti-LGBTQ groups including the <\/span>Heritage Foundation<\/span><\/a>. (Founders Tiffany Justice and Tina Descovich pictured above.)<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014A former student from Lehighton Area School District, in Pennsylvania, pressed school board treasurer and Moms for Liberty member Sean Gleaves about an audit<\/a> he is weighing against 33 books (13 of which are LGBTQ-related).\u00a0Included in his response, Gleaves said<\/a>: “You people believe you are the majority in our society because mainstream media has created this perception that you are. Unfortunately for you that is purely propaganda. The rest of us are tired of being bullied to accept your immoral and degenerate lifestyle. I will not bend the knee to you people and speak politically correct. We are tired of your lies and deception towards children. It has no place in our culture.”<\/p>\n

\u2014Targeting social-emotional learning, which includes teaching strategies to build relationships and self-awareness to foster greater connections and success at school and in life. Going undercover, one TikTok creator <\/span>pressed an M4L member<\/span><\/a> on what this means. \u201cSocial-emotional learning is basically the Trojan horse that allows critical race theory, that allows the critical queer theory for teaching our kids how to feel it. Teaching them about their feelings. They have basic instructors, or teachers, that are teaching our kids… about their feelings\u2026 And then [the teacher] says, \u2018If you have a friend that has two moms, how can you have empathy?\u2019 Well, my child comes home and says, \u2018Mom, there can be two moms,\u2019 you know. And in this\u2014these conversations lead to bringing queer theory.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014<\/span>Ban This Book<\/span><\/i>, a book about book bans, was <\/span>banned<\/span><\/a> by the Indian River County School Board, in Florida. Local M4L chapter member Jennifer Pippin led the challenge. In total, Pippin has filed dozens of objections, resulting in the removal of more than 140 books from Indian River County schools, <\/span>including<\/span><\/a> The Diary of Anne Frank <\/span><\/i>graphic novel. In response to massive banners like Pippin, Florida enacted a law restricting book challenges to one per month per person.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014In Washington state, teachers are required to take professional development courses to maintain their licenses. Although no educators have logged hours with them, <\/span>M4L is an approved continuing education provider<\/span><\/a> in the state. M4L’s King County chair Ann Streit noted that the organization does not have a prepared curriculum in the event a teacher wishes to log hours with them. The state’s Professional Educator Standards Board hopes to change this, and has put forth a <\/span>bill<\/span><\/a> to “review clock hour content” and “kick subpar providers off the list.”<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Seeks<\/a> to make a comeback in the 2024 election season following an unsuccessful 2023 election cycle<\/a> and the scandal surrounding co-founder Bridget Ziegler and the allegations against her husband (below). M4L’s affiliated PAC, Moms for Liberty Action, has received $161,000 from Restoration PAC<\/a>, which is funded by the conservative billionaire Richard Uihlein, October 2023 and May 2024. M4L is actively seeking funding from wealthy conservative donors and organizations to support their political activities and influence in the upcoming elections, and is planning a\u00a0<\/span>$3 million TV ad buy<\/a> in Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina and Wisconsin, with plans to expand into Michigan, Nevada, and Pennsylvania. M4L has pledged<\/a> to become more active nationwide in 2024.<\/p>\n

\u2014Affiliated members called on the Madison City Council in Alabama to withhold funding to the Huntsville Madison County Public Library<\/a> system unless it updates policy specifically to restrict LGBTQ books, citing baseless claims about \u201ctransgenderism.\u201d \u201cTransgenderism<\/a>\u201d arises from anti-trans extremists who seek to delegitimize and dehumanize trans people by implying that being trans is an ideology rather than an identity.<\/p>\n

\u2014Organization co-founder Bridget Ziegler was allegedly involved in the planning of a sexual encounter with her husband Christian and another women, after which Christian was<\/span> accused of sexual assault<\/span><\/a>. Bridget, who is not named in the complaint against her husband, has reportedly<\/span> confirmed previous sexual encounters among the three<\/span><\/a>,<\/span> including having consensual sex with the woman<\/span><\/a>, a private act in sharp contrast with Bridget\u2019s and Moms for Liberty\u2019s extreme anti-LGBTQ conservative agenda. Bridget sits on the board of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District that<\/span> Gov. Ron DeSantis<\/span><\/a> put in place to punish Disney for voicing opposition to \u201cDon\u2019t Say Gay\/Trans\u201d legislation. <\/span>Bridget claims to have authored the bill<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014A Pennsylvania chapter <\/span>split from the organization<\/span><\/a> over the national leadership\u2019s response to <\/span>the rape allegation<\/span><\/a> against co-founder Bridget Ziegler’s husband Christian.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014A June 2023 <\/span>Vice News<\/span><\/i> investigation<\/span><\/a> reported multiple Moms for Liberty chapters\u2019 connections to the Proud Boys, a <\/span>violent<\/span><\/a> white nationalist group<\/span><\/a> with factions throughout the country. In November 2023, two Moms for Liberty chapter leaders in Kentucky were <\/span>photographed<\/span><\/a> posing with known members of the Proud Boys. M4L <\/span>tweeted<\/span><\/a> it is \u201cin no way\u201d affiliated with the Proud Boys. Moms for Liberty founder Bridget Ziegler\u2019s campaign for school board <\/span>was also <\/span>supported<\/span><\/a> by local Proud Boys members.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014In November 2023, Moms for Liberty members in Santa Rosa County, FL, <\/span>filed<\/span><\/a> a police report against a librarian for lending a <\/span>widely recommended, age-appropriate<\/span><\/a> YA novel to a teen.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014In the November 2023 general election, <\/span>about 70%<\/span><\/a> of Moms for Liberty-endorsed candidates were defeated in local school board races throughout the U.S. The group <\/span>informally backed<\/span><\/a> candidates in other races, including two hotly contested elections in Pennsylvania. Most of M4L\u2019s candidates <\/span>lost their races<\/span><\/a>, including 12 of 13 in Iowa and 10 of 12 in Ohio, in part because of <\/span>grassroots counter-activism<\/span><\/a> from parents and educators. While M4L claims to be about \u201cparents\u2019 rights,\u201d <\/span>polling<\/span><\/a> shows the majority of parents nationwide oppose book and curriculum bans in schools urged by the group.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014In June 2023, Moms for Liberty’s Hamilton County chapter launched a newsletter that quoted Adolph Hitler<\/a> on the cover.<\/p>\n

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Photo by John Tufts \/ Indy Star<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2014In June 2023, Moms for Liberty was designated an \u201c<\/span>extremist group<\/span><\/a>\u201d by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), an organization that monitors hate groups and extremism in the United States. <\/span>The SPLC noted the group uses<\/span> \u201ctheir multiple social media platforms to target teachers and school officials, advocate for the abolition of the Department of Education, advance a conspiracy propaganda, and spread hateful imagery and rhetoric against the LGBTQ community.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Tweeted<\/a>, \u201cGender dysphoria is a mental health disorder that is being normalized by predators across the USA. California kids are at extreme risk from predatory adults. Now they want to \u2018liberate\u2019 children all over the country. Does a double mastectomy on a preteen sound like progress?” The tweet, regarding California Senate Bill 107, got their account <\/span>temporarily suspended<\/span><\/a>. Healthcare for transgender people and youth is <\/span>supported<\/span><\/a> by every major U.S. medical association and leading world health authority.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Eulalia Jimenez<\/a>, chair of Moms for Liberty, Miami Chapter, spread disinformation<\/a> about a shooting massacre falsely identifying the Uvalde, TX, elementary school shooter who killed 19 children and two adults,<\/a> as a trans woman.<\/p>\n

\u2014Crystal Alonso, member of Moms for Liberty, Miami-Dade County, FL, says LGBTQ students should be separated into their own special class<\/a>: \u201cThe kids that do have their, you know, they\u2019re confused, or they are gay or whatnot that the way they\u2019re trying to go about it is to make it an open conversation and an open thing in classrooms \u2026 But like for example children with autism, Down Syndrome\u2026 they have to be put into separate classrooms. I understand, because it\u2019s a different type of education for children with those disabilities, but I think that for children that identify differently, there should also be like a specialized \u2026 something for them, so that they feel that they\u2019re important enough that they\u2019re being counseled\u2026I think for the same reason why teachers wouldn\u2019t just bring a child with autism in front of the class and be like, hey, he\u2019s got autism. Embarrassment \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014<\/span>Lied<\/span><\/a> to the parents of a young person that the Rainbow Youth Project, an organization promoting the health, safety, and wellness of LGBTQ youth, was trying to \u201cconvince [their child] to have his private parts removed and changed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Collaborated with Gays Against Groomers, a <\/span>group that promotes<\/span><\/a> false and harmful \u201cgroomer\u201d rhetoric against transgender people. In 2022, the groups <\/span>hosted<\/span><\/a> an anti-LGBTQ \u201cProtect the Children\u201d rally in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Members of the Proud Boys were reportedly <\/span>in attendance<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Made <\/span>false and inflammatory claims<\/span><\/a> about the \u201cwoke indoctrination\u201d of LGBTQ and ally middle schoolers in Seattle, WA, who <\/span>penned letters<\/span><\/a> to their local Moms for Liberty chapter demanding that they \u201cstop bullying\u201d LGBTQ students.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014<\/span>Behavior<\/span><\/a> by Moms for Liberty members at a school board meeting in Wauwatosa County, WI, <\/span>prompted<\/span><\/a> increased police presence. Moms for Liberty and Gays Against Groomers members reportedly falsely \u201caccused attendees of being groomers\u201d and \u201cbrought a 10-year-old student to tears.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014The chairperson of the Monroe County, PA, chapter was arrested<\/a> on a \u201csummary charge of harassment\u201d after allegedly repeatedly harassing an individual with messages.<\/p>\n

\u2014The head of communications of the Lonoke County, AR, chapter threatened gun violence against librarians<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2014Ed Kelley<\/a>, a Moms for Liberty-affiliated Charleston County School Board (SC) member<\/span>, attended a Moms for Liberty meeting and publicly stated that he would bring a gun to the home of his child\u2019s teacher if the teacher came out as trans.<\/p>\n

\u2014Hosted its first national summit and included Florida Governor <\/span>Ron DeSantis<\/span><\/a>, who has instigated and signed into state law multiple bills targeting LGBTQ people and youth access to essential healthcare, school sports, bathrooms, and discussion of LGBTQ people in classrooms K-12. Former Governor and current Senator Rick Scott, former Education Secretary <\/span>Betsy DeVos<\/span><\/a>, and anti-LGBTQ activist groups like Turning Point USA, the Leadership Institute, <\/span>and Heritage Action, and the evangelical Liberty University were also in attendance. M4L\u2019s <\/span>2023 summit<\/span><\/a> in Philadelphia featured a similar slate of prominent anti-LGBTQ politicians, including DeSantis, <\/span>Nikki Haley<\/span><\/a>, and former President <\/span>Donald Trump<\/span><\/a>. All three are running for president in 2024. The event also platformed James Lindsay, who has been <\/span>described<\/span><\/a> as an anti-LGBTQ conspiracy theorist by the SPLC.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Falsely claiming<\/a> it stands \u201cagainst government overreach and intimidation tactics,\u201d while attempting to ban books about Martin Luther King Jr.<\/a>, Ruby Bridges, and Black and queer memoir All Boys Aren\u2019t Blue<\/em>.\u00a0Supporters including Florida state representative Randy Fine posted<\/a> a school board member\u2019s cell phone number on Facebook. A school board member who defeated one of the founders of Moms for Liberty says<\/a> opponents filed a false claim of child abuse against her, and protestors shouted at her five year old child outside her home.<\/p>\n

\u2014School board member details<\/a> how Moms for Liberty targeted county guidelines to protect students\u2019 right to dress and use bathrooms according to the gender they identify with, falsely calling school board members \u201cpedophiles.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014Founder Tiffany Justice supports<\/a> Florida \u201cDon\u2019t Say Gay\/Trans\u201d censorship law, falsely and disingenuously claiming \u201cnothing about the bill says anything about gay or straight.” Text<\/a> of the bill shows it prohibits\u00a0discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity. Justice also fails to provide evidence to support her claims of \u201cindoctrination\u201d in schools, and defames those who support children being able to discuss their LGBTQ family or identities as \u201cgroomers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014Offers bounties<\/a> to encourage people to report on teachers who discuss so-called \u201cdivisive concepts\u201d including discrimination based on sex or race.<\/p>\n

\u2014Spreads inaccurate<\/a> and inflammatory claims about LGBTQ books, including the memoir of Black and queer author George M. Johnson All Boys Aren\u2019t Blue<\/em>, for so-called \u201cracially charged commentary\u201d and \u201calternate gender ideologies\u201d as well as sexually explicit passages, alcohol and drug use, and profanity. Johnson\u2019s book was named a 2020 Best Book of the Year by Amazon, the New York and Chicago public libraries and Kirkus Reviews.<\/p>\n

\u2014A Moms for Liberty chapter in Brevard County, Florida, is chaired<\/a> by a business owner known for refusing to serve same-sex couples.<\/p>\n

\u2014A Texas Moms for Liberty chapter announced it would host anti-LGBTQ activist Kelly Neidert at its July 25 meeting. Neidert is well-known in the greater Dallas area for harassing<\/a> local LGBTQ events including story hours for children, protesting outside of a medical center that treats transgender patients, and being permanently suspended<\/a> from Twitter for tweeting \u201cLet\u2019s start rounding up people who participate in Pride events\u201d in addition to repeated misgendering and anti-trans rhetoric. Neidert\u2019s targeting of transgender people led more than 21,000 people to sign a petition<\/a> created by her fellow students at the University of North Texas calling for her expulsion from the school.<\/p>\n

\u2014A Tennessee<\/a> Moms For Liberty chapter shared video of a school Pride club Homecoming float. Local community members said the video outed some students and put their safety at risk. Moms for Liberty claimed the float featured \u201ctwo girls kissing\u201d\u00a0and \u201cgroping,\u201d and accused the group of \u201cencouraging bisexuality\u201d by handing out National Bi Week awareness flyers. Moms for Liberty also criticized the school district for asking middle and high school students for their pronouns and falsely claimed of LGBTQ-inclusive clubs: “Our schools are on a slippery slope in the sexualization of children.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014Tweeted<\/a> \u201cgender identity indoctrination\u201d is one of the most dangerous threats facing children in America today. The CDC reported that one in four LGBTQ teens attempted suicide in 2021, with half of LGBTQ teens considering suicide. Research<\/a> shows adults using a trans youth’s authentic name\u00a0and pronouns improves mental health and reduces suicidal ideation.\u00a036% of LGBTQ youth reported being physically threated or harmed due to their sexual orientation or gender identity.<\/p>\n

\u2014Pushed<\/a> for bans on discussions of racism and LGBTQ content in schools.\u00a0In Alabama, for instance, a local chapter <\/span>hosted a meeting<\/span><\/a> with state Rep. Mack Butler<\/span> to discuss expanding the state\u2019s copycat of Florida\u2019s \u201cDon\u2019t Say LGBTQ\u201d law to encompass grades K\u201312. M4L\u2019s messaging indicates interest in banning books about \u201creligion\u201d and \u201crace.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Funding and political support:<\/h3>\n

\u2014Founded by Bridget Ziegler, a candidate for Sarasota County School Board, who is married to County Commissioner and Vice Chair of the Republican Party of Florida, Christian Ziegler, who attended<\/a> the rally that preceded the deadly assault on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Bridget\u2019s school board candidacy has been endorsed<\/a> by anti-LGBTQ Governor DeSantis, and she appeared<\/a> with DeSantis as he signed the \u201cDon\u2019t Say LGBTQ\u201d bill into law, at a private school that would not be subject to the law.\u00a0Although Bridget has since left M4L, she maintains close ties to the so-called \u201cparental rights\u201d movement, and to DeSantis. In 2023, he <\/span>appointed her<\/span><\/a> to serve on a state board overseeing Disney, which was formed to push back against the company for expressing its support of LGBTQ equality.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Other founders, former school board members Tina Descovich<\/a> of Brevard County and Tiffany Justice of Indian River County, have amplified<\/a> false claims against evidence-based healthcare for trans youth, and harmful \u201cgroomer\u201d rhetoric<\/a>. Descovich has spread<\/a> misinformation about trans youth.\u00a0In 2023, DeSantis <\/span>chose Descovich<\/span><\/a> to serve on Florida\u2019s state ethics commission, a role that empowers her to target LGBTQ state employees.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Despite <\/span>describing itself<\/span><\/a> as a \u201cgrassroots organization of Moms,\u201d Moms for Liberty has close ties to national right-wing media. The group was <\/span>featured<\/span><\/a> on <\/span>The Rush Limbaugh Show, <\/span><\/i>Breitbart, and <\/span>Tucker Carlson Tonight <\/span><\/i>within two months of its formation. <\/span>Per Media Matters\u2019 reporting<\/span><\/a>, M4L removed press releases about these early media hits from its website. In June 2021, the group also <\/span>held a preliminary fundraiser<\/span><\/a> that featured former Fox News host Megyn Kelly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Per tax filings <\/span>obtained<\/span><\/a> by the Associated Press, Moms for Liberty reported $2.1 million in revenue in 2022, the bulk of which came from two anonymous mega-donors. In 2021, the organization\u2019s total revenue was $370,000.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014In 2022, Moms for Liberty <\/span>received<\/span><\/a> a $25,000 grant from the Heritage Foundation, an anti-LGBTQ nonprofit that <\/span>opposes<\/span><\/a> marriage equality, LGBTQ parenting, and healthcare for trans youth. Additionally, M4L was <\/span>awarded<\/span><\/a> $100,000 in funding from the George Jenkins Foundation, a conservative foundation that backs other anti-LGBTQ organizations, including the Alliance Defending Freedom. The foundation is led by Publix heiress Julie Fancelli, a conservative political donor who reportedly <\/span>helped finance<\/span><\/a> the aforementioned January 2021 rally at the Capitol. In June 2023, Fancelli herself made the <\/span>first large donation ($50,000)<\/span><\/a> to M4L\u2019s PAC. The Leadership Institute, a conservative political organization that trained the likes of former Vice President Mike Pence, also <\/span>claimed<\/span><\/a> it was the \u201ctop sponsor\u201d of M4L\u2019s 2022 national summit. M4L founder Bridget Ziegler <\/span>serves<\/span><\/a> in a leadership role at the organization.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Moms for Liberty\u2019s Executive Director of Program Development, Marie Rogerson, is a campaign consultant who previously worked<\/a> for Rep. Randy Fine, who has widely spread anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and supported anti-LGBTQ bills including the \u201cDon\u2019t Say LGBTQ\u201d law, and pushed for bans on life-saving, evidence-based healthcare for transgender youth.<\/p>\n

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