Alliance Defending Freedom

American Christian legal advocacy group

Alliance Defending Freedom

Abbreviation| ADF
Formation| March 25, 1993; 32 years ago (1993-03-25)[1]
Type| Non-profit organization

Tax ID no.

| 54-1660459
Headquarters| Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S.[2]

Chairman

| Terry Schlossberg[3]

President and CEO

| Kristen Waggoner[4]
Budget| $104,000,000[7]: 84 [6] (2022)
Revenue| $104,490,113[5][3][6] (2022)
Expenses| $81,311,475[5] (2022)
Endowment| $20,295,829[5] (2022)
Employees| 395[5] (2022)
Volunteers| 1,351[5] (2022)
Website| adflegal.org

Formerly called

| Alliance Defense Fund
This article is part of a series on

Conservatism
in the United States

Schools

* Compassionate
* Fiscal
* Fusion
* Liberal
* Classical
* Libertarian
* Moderate
* Movement
* Nationalist
* Christian
* Neo-
* Paleo-
* Postliberal
* Populist
* Progressive
* Social
* Straussian
* Traditionalist
* Ultra-

Principles

* American exceptionalism
* Anti-communism
* Christian Zionism
* Communitarianism
* Constitutionalism
* Familialism
* Family values
* Federalism
* States' rights
* Subsidiarity
* Gender essentialism
* Judeo-Christian values
* Individualism
* Law and order
* Limited government
* Meritocracy
* Natural aristocracy
* Militarism
* Peace through strength
* Moral absolutism
* Natalism
* Pro-life
* Natural law
* Ordered liberty
* Patriotism
* Property rights
* Republicanism
* Right to bear arms
* Rule of law
* Supply-side economics
* Tradition

History

* Loyalists
* Federalist Era
* Southern chivalry
* Redeemers
* Boston Brahmins
* Solid South
* New Humanism
* Dunning School
* Southern Agrarians
* Old Right
* Conservative Manifesto
* Conservative coalition
* America First Committee
* McCarthyism
* Goldwater campaign
* New Right
* Reagan era
* Reagan Doctrine
* Reaganomics
* Republican Revolution
* W. Bush presidency
* Tea Party movement
* Neo- vs. paleoconservatism
* Trump era
* First term
* Second term
* Agenda 47

Intellectuals

* Adams
* Anton
* Babbitt
* Bacevich
* Bell
* Bellow
* Bloom
* Boorstin
* Bradford
* Buckley
* Burgess
* Burnham
* Calhoun
* Chambers
* Conquest
* Deneen
* Eliot
* Francis
* Genovese
* Gottfried
* Hanson
* Hardin
* Hazony
* Himmelfarb
* Hoppe
* Hurston
* Jaffa
* Kimball
* Kirk
* Kirkpatrick
* Kreeft
* Kristol
* Kuehnelt-Leddihn
* Lind
* Lovecraft
* Loury
* Lukacs
* Luntz
* Mansfield
* Mencken
* Meyer
* Molnar
* Murray
* Nisbet
* Pangle
* Ransom
* Reno
* Rieff
* Santayana
* Schaeffer
* Sowell
* Strauss
* Vermeule
* Viereck
* Voegelin
* Wattenberg
* Weaver
* Wolfe

Politicians

* Abbott
* Adams
* Boehner
* Bolton
* Buchanan
* Bush (George H. W.)
* Bush (George W.)
* Calhoun
* Clay
* Cheney
* Cleveland
* Coolidge
* Cruz
* DeSantis
* Dirksen
* Dole
* Eisenhower
* Gingrich
* Goldwater
* Harding
* Hamilton
* Helms
* Hoover (Herbert)
* Huckabee
* Johnson
* Kissinger
* Lodge
* Luce
* Madison
* McCain
* McCarthy (Joseph)
* McCarthy (Kevin)
* McConnell
* McKinley
* Meese
* Nixon
* Palin
* Paul (Rand)
* Paul (Ron)
* Pence
* Pierce
* Randolph
* Reagan
* Romney
* Rubio
* Rumsfeld
* Ryan
* Sessions
* Sherman
* Taft (Robert)
* Taft (William)
* Thurmond
* Trump
* Vance
* Wallace
* Wolfowitz

Jurists

* Alito
* Barrett
* Bork
* Burger
* Colson
* Field
* Frelinghuysen
* Fuller
* George
* Goldsmith
* Gorsuch
* Harlan
* Kavanaugh
* Kennedy
* Luttig
* O'Connor
* Parker
* Rehnquist
* Roberts (John)
* Sanford
* Scalia
* Sessions
* Sutherland
* Taft (William)
* Thomas (Clarence)
* Whittaker

Commentators

* Beck
* Bongino
* Breitbart
* Buchanan (Pat)
* Buckley
* Caldwell
* Carlson
* Cass
* Chodorov
* Coulter
* D'Souza
* Derbyshire
* Dreher
* Elder
* Goldberg
* Grant
* Griffin
* Van den Haag
* Hannity
* Hart
* Herberg
* Hoover (Margaret)
* Ingraham
* Jones
* Kelly
* Knowles
* Krauthammer
* Lahren
* Levin
* Limbaugh
* Mac Donald
* Neuhaus
* Ngo
* North
* Novak
* O'Reilly
* Owens
* Podhoretz
* Pool
* Portnoy
* Possony
* Prager
* Robertson
* Shapiro
* Shlaes
* Sullivan
* Walsh
* Watters
* Weyl
* Will
* Wintrich
* Woods

Activists

* Abramoff
* Agostinelli
* Andreessen
* Atwater
* Bannon
* Bennett
* Bezmenov
* Bozell
* Cohn
* Dans
* Dobson
* Drudge
* Falwell
* Feulner
* Flynn
* Gabriel
* Hegseth
* Horowitz
* Kirk
* Krikorian
* Kristol
* LaHaye
* Lindell
* Lindbergh
* Leo
* McEntee
* Mercer (Rebekah)
* Mercer (Robert)
* Miller
* Murdoch
* Musk
* political views
* O'Keefe
* Park
* Phillips
* Posobiec
* Powell
* Raichik
* Reed
* Regnery
* Roberts (Kevin)
* Rove
* Rufo
* Scaife
* Schlafly (Andrew)
* Schlafly (Phyllis)
* Stone
* Thiel
* Thomas (Ginni)
* Weyrich
* Wiles
* Wood

Literature

* The Federalist Papers (1788)
* Democracy in America (1835–1840)
* Notes on Democracy (1926)
* I'll Take My Stand (1930)
* Our Enemy, the State (1935)
* The Managerial Revolution (1941)
* Ideas Have Consequences (1948)
* God and Man at Yale (1951)
* The Conservative Mind (1953)
* The Conscience of a Conservative (1960)
* A Choice Not an Echo (1964)
* A Conflict of Visions (1987)
* The Closing of the American Mind (1987)
* The Death of the West (2001)
* Hillbilly Elegy (2016)
* The Benedict Option (2017)
* Why Liberalism Failed (2018)
* The Age of Entitlement (2020)

Parties

Active

* American Party
* American Independent Party
* Conservative Party
* NY state
* Constitution Party
* Republican Party

Defunct

* Anti-Masonic Party
* Constitutional Union Party
* Democratic Party (historically, factions)
* Boll weevils
* Bourbon Democrats
* Conservative Democrats
* Dixiecrats
* Reagan Democrats
* Southern Democrats
* Rhode Island Suffrage Party
* Federalist Party
* National Republican Party
* Native American Party
* Whig Party

Think tanks

* Acton Institute
* AdTI
* AEI
* AFP
* CSP
* CfNI
* Claremont Institute
* CEI
* CSPC
* EPPC
* FRI
* Gatestone Institute
* Heartland Institute
* The Heritage Foundation
* Heritage Action
* Mandate for Leadership
* Project Esther
* Project 2025
* Hoover Institution
* Hudson Institute
* ISI
* James Madison Program
* Leadership Institute
* Manhattan Institute
* Mises Institute
* PRI
* PNAC (Defunct)
* Ripon Society
* R Street Institute
* Rockford Institute
* SPN
* Sutherland Institute
* Tax Foundation
* Witherspoon Institute

Media

Newspapers

* Chicago Tribune
* The Epoch Times
* New Hampshire Union Leader
* The Jewish Voice
* The New York Observer
* New York Post
* The Remnant
* The Wall Street Journal (editorial board)
* The Washington Times

Journals

* American Affairs
* The American Conservative
* The American Spectator
* American Thinker
* City Journal
* Claremont Review of Books
* Commentary
* Compact
* Chronicles
* The Dispatch
* First Things
* The Imaginative Conservative
* Jewish World Review
* Modern Age
* National Affairs
* The National Interest
* National Review
* The New American
* The New Atlantis
* The New Criterion
* Policy Review (defunct)
* Public Discourse
* Southern Partisan
* Spectator USA
* Tablet
* Taki's Magazine
* Telos
* Washington Examiner
* The Weekly Standard (defunct)

TV channels

* CBN
* Fox Business
* Fox News
* Newsmax TV
* One America News Network
* Real America's Voice
* VOZ

Websites

* 1819 News
* Babylon Bee
* Breitbart News
* The Bulwark
* Campus Reform
* The Center Square
* Conservative Review
* Daily Caller
* Daily Signal
* Daily Wire
* Discover the Networks
* The Federalist
* FrontPage Magazine
* Front Porch Republic
* Gateway Pundit
* Hot Air
* Human Events
* Independent Journal Review
* InfoWars
* Jihad Watch
* LifeZette
* NewsBusters
* PJ Media
* Rare
* RedState
* The Dispatch
* Townhall
* Twitchy
* Washington Examiner
* The Washington Free Beacon
* The Western Journal
* WorldNetDaily

Other

* Blaze Media
* Encounter Books
* Evie Magazine
* The First
* Imprimis
* The Political Cesspool
* Passage Publishing
* PragerU
* RealClearPolitics
* Red Scare
* Regnery Publishing
* RSBN
* The Rubin Report
* Sinclair Broadcast Group

Other organizations

Congressional caucuses

* Second Amendment Caucus
* RSC
* Liberty Caucus
* Freedom Caucus
* Republican Main Street Partnership
* Republican Governance Group
* Blue Dog Coalition

Economics

* ATR
* Club for Growth
* FreedomWorks (defunct)
* NFIB
* NTU
* Tea Party Patriots
* USCC

Gun rights

* GOA
* NAGR
* NRA

Identity politics

* ACT!
* CWA
* Council of Conservative Citizens
* GAG
* IWF
* LCR
* Moms for Liberty

Nativist

* CIS
* FAIR
* Immigration Restriction League
* NumbersUSA
* Patriot Prayer
* Proud Boys
* Oath Keepers
* Three Percenters

Religion

* ADF
* Court cases
* ACLJ
* AFA
* The American TFP
* Chalcedon Foundation
* CCA
* Christian Voice
* Eagle Forum
* FCR
* The Fellowship
* FFC
* Focus on the Family
* Foundation for Moral Law
* Liberty Counsel
* Moral Majority (defunct)
* NOM
* NRLC
* PTMC
* Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America
* Thomas More Law Center

Watchdog groups

* AIM
* Econ Journal Watch
* Franklin News Foundation
* JW
* MRC
* O'Keefe Media Group
* Project Veritas

Youth/student groups

* NJC
* TPUSA
* Young Americans for Freedom
* Young America's Foundation
* YAL

Social media

* Gab
* Gettr
* Parler
* The Right Stuff

Miscellaneous

* The 85 Fund
* AHI
* ACU
* AFPAC
* Bradley Foundation
* TCC
* CNP
* CPAC
* Hillsdale College
* IFF
* JBS
* John M. Olin Foundation (defunct)
* Liberty Fund
* LU
* NAS
* Philadelphia Society
* Regent University
* Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal
* TPPF

Other

* AFL
* Atlas Network
* CN
* ConservAmerica
* Donors Trust
* FedSoc
* NCPAC
* PJI
* Turning Point Action
* SACR
* YRNF
* Ziklag

Movements

* Asian and Pacific Islander
* Black
* Christian right
* Reconstructionism
* Classical education movement
* Paideia
* Dark Enlightenment
* Election denial movement
* 2020 election disputes
* Female
* Green
* Hispanic and Latino
* LGBTQ
* Libertarian republicans
* Militia movement
* Monarchism
* Mormon
* White Horse Prophecy
* Theodemocracy
* New Apostolic Reformation
* Parental rights movement
* Fathers' rights
* Patriot movement
* Christian
* Radical right
* Reactionary feminism
* Right-libertarianism
* Paleolibertarianism
* Secessionism
* Neo-Confederates
* in Texas
* Trumpism
* Never Trump

Related

* Barstool conservatism
* Bibliography of US conservatism
* Conservative talk radio
* GOP factions
* List of American conservatives
* NatCon
* Timeline of modern American conservatism

* Conservatism portal
* United States portal

* v
* t
* e

The Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), formerly the Alliance Defense Fund, is an American conservative Christian legal advocacy group.[8] It works to expand Christian religious practices within public schools and in government,[9] and is most known for its stance on outlawing abortion,[10][11] opposing same-sex marriage and other LGBTQ rights,[12] transgender rights, and anti-discrimination laws.[12][13][14] As of 2025, ADF has played a role in at least 74 Supreme Court decisions and directly represented 15 parties in Supreme Court wins.[15] ADF is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, with branch offices in several locations including Washington, D.C., and New York.[16] Its international subsidiary, Alliance Defending Freedom International, with headquarters in Vienna, Austria,[17] operates in over 100 countries.[18]

ADF is one of the most organized and influential Christian legal interest groups in the United States[19] based on its budget, caseload, network of allied attorneys, and connections to significant members of the political right.[20][21][22] Mike Johnson, a former ADF attorney,[23][24] was elected speaker of the House of Representatives on October 25, 2023.[25][26] Others who have been associated with ADF include U.S. Supreme Court justice Amy Coney Barrett,[20][27] former vice president Mike Pence,[28] former attorneys general William Barr[29] and Jeff Sessions,[21][30] and Senator Josh Hawley.[31][32] Since the election of President Donald Trump, ADF has become "one of the most influential groups informing the [Trump] administration".[33][12][34] It has been designated by the Southern Poverty Law Center as an anti-LGBT hate group.

As of 2018 ADF attorneys have won a number of cases before the Supreme Court. It has taken positions including support for religious activity in public school and Christian prayer at town meetings, narrowing insurance coverage for contraceptives, prohibiting same-sex marriage, and supporting businesses in the wedding industry that refuse to service gay marriages.[35] ADF lawyers wrote the model for Mississippi's anti-abortion legislation, leading to the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization to overrule Roe v. Wade that had established a right to abortion in America in 1973.[36]

## History and structure

[edit]

### Founding

[edit]

Bill and Vonette Bright

James Dobson

Co-founders of Alliance Defense Fund, the predecessor to Alliance Defending Freedom

The Alliance Defense Fund was founded by members of the Christian right movement to prevent what its founders saw as threats to religious liberty in American society.[19][22] ADF was incorporated in 1993[1] by six conservative Christian men, most of whom belonged to evangelical movements.[37] The co-founders were Bill Bright, who also founded Campus Crusade for Christ; Larry Burkett; James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family; D. James Kennedy, founder of Coral Ridge Ministries; Marlin Maddoux; Mark Siljander; and Alan Sears.[38] ADF is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization.[39]

In its early years, Alliance Defense Fund funded legal cases rather than litigating directly. It particularly targeted the work of the American Civil Liberties Union, which its founders saw as contributing to an erosion of Christian values.[22][11][40][41]

### Shift to direct litigation

[edit]

The Alliance Defense Fund changed its name to Alliance Defending Freedom in 2012. The name change was intended to reflect the organization's shift in focus from funding allied attorneys to directly litigating cases.[42]

By 2014, the organization had more than 40 staff attorneys, and had "emerged as the largest legal force of the religious right, arguing hundreds of pro bono cases across the country."[22][43][44][45] ADF garnered national attention in the 2012 Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. case[46][47] as well as its 2014 challenge to the Affordable Care Act.[22][48]

### Leadership and international expansion

[edit]

The ADF's first president, CEO and Chief Counsel was Alan Sears, who was also a founder of the organization.[49] Sears has been described as "an ardent antipornography crusader",[50] and had previously served as staff executive director of the Reagan administration Attorney General's Commission on Pornography, which produced the 1986 Meese Report.[51]

Sears led the organization for over 20 years, until 2017. From 2017 to 2022, Michael Farris, the founder of Patrick Henry College, was CEO of ADF. Farris lobbied Congress for the passage of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993.[49] He has been closely associated with the Christian homeschooling movement since the 1980s and is the founder of the Christian organization Home School Legal Defense Association, which offers legal representation to home-schooling parents.[11] In 2016, Farris voiced opposition to Donald Trump's candidacy for president, opining that "Trump most clearly fails the traditional standard championed by the Christian right on the subject of personal character."[52] However, after Trump refused to concede the 2020 presidential election and made false claims of voter fraud, Farris worked to overturn the election results, drafting a legal complaint with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the unsuccessful case Texas v. Pennsylvania.[53][54]

On October 1, 2022, Kristen Waggoner succeeded Farris as CEO and President of ADF, retaining her role as General Counsel.[55]

### ADF International

[edit]

Since 2010, ADF's global arm, ADF International, has been increasingly active around the world. In 2015, ADF International stated that it had been involved in "over 500 cases before national and international tribunals," in the United States of America, Argentina, Honduras, India, Mexico, Peru, the European Union Court and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.[56] The organization reported 580 "ongoing legal matters" in fifty-one countries as of 2017,[57] and had a budget of $11.5 million worldwide in 2020–2021.[58][59] The organization established an affiliate group in India (ADF India) in 2012, headquartered in Delhi.[60] In addition, ADF is incorporated in a number of European countries under "ADF International": Belgium, Germany (as ADF International Deutschland), France, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Austria (as ADF International Austria GmbH).[61] The organization also lobbies the European Union Parliament via ADF International Belgium, which participates in the intergroup organization "Freedom of Religion and Religious Tolerance." As part of EU advocacy, its members have presented on issues including Christian minority persecution in Iraq and Myanmar.[59]

ADF International's budget was US$11.5 million (€9,489,000) in FY 2020–21.[59] In the EU, the organization spent about $9.8 million (€8.7 million) from 2008 to 2016.[58] In 2020, it reported a budget of about $2 million per year (£1.5 million), including approximately $430,000 on lobbying EU officials.[58] Its registered EU lobbying group, ADF International Belgium, had five employees and a $585,000 budget for the 2022-23 financial year.[62] In its financial disclosure information, ADF International Belgium lists its source as a donation from Alliance Defending Freedom.[62]

### Finances and donors

[edit]

The Servant Foundation donated over $50,000,000 to the Alliance Defending Freedom between 2018 and 2020, via the foundation's financial arm, The Signatry.[63][64][65] The most public use of these funds has been the "He Gets Us" campaign during Super Bowl commercial breaks.[66][67][68][69] Other donors include: the Green family,[66][67][68][69] the Covenant Foundation, the Bolthouse Foundation,[70] the Edgar and Elsa Prince Foundation,[71][7]: 84, 255 the Richard and Helen DeVos Foundation, the Bradley Foundation,[72][73] and the Charles Koch Institute.[74] The M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, one of largest charities in the Pacific Northwest, donated nearly $1,000,000 to ADF from 2007 to 2016.[75]

## Supreme Court

[edit]

ADF attorneys have argued, and won, a number of cases before the Supreme Court.

### Free Speech

[edit]

The 2023 case 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis addressed an intersection between the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and LGBTQ rights. It pitched Lorie Smith, a graphic designer represented by ADF's Kristen Waggoner,[76] against a Colorado public accommodations law that she feared would have compelled her to also create expression about same-sex marriages that contradicted her religious beliefs if she designed websites celebrating marriages between men and women. In a 6–3 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the First Amendment forbade the state of Colorado from compelling speech that contradicted her beliefs.[77][78]

The 2018 case National Institute of Family and Life Advocates v. Becerra addressed the issue of Free Speech and abortion. At issue was California's Reproductive FACT (Freedom, Accountability, Comprehensive Care, and Transparency) Act that compelled pro-life pregnancy care centers, represented by ADF's Michael Farris,[79] to post information in their waiting rooms saying that California provides free or low-cost abortion, as well as providing a number to call for abortion referrals.[80] The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that requiring those notices was a free speech violation.[81]

The 2001 case Good News Club v. Milford Central School concerned a public school's exclusion of a club from using the school building after hours based solely on the club's religious nature. The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that the Good News Club, represented by ADF's senior counsel Thomas Marcelle, was the victim of impermissible viewpoint discrimination[82]and that religious clubs must be afforded equal access to use public school facilities.[83]

### Abortion

[edit]

The 2022 case Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, considered the constitutionality of a Mississippi law that placed a ban on abortions after 15 weeks, in conflict with Roe v. Wade (1973) and Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992). The Mississippi law was based on ADF's model legislation, specifically designed to provoke a legal challenge that could then be appealed up to the Supreme Court.[84][78] ADF lawyers then served on the Mississippi Attorney General's legal team to defend the ban.[36] The strategy succeeded: the Justices voted to overturn Roe v Wade, and Casey, and to return the power to regulate abortion to the States.

## Litigation positions

[edit]

ADF's positions include supporting the place of religion in public institutions, opposing LGBTQ rights, opposing abortion and contraception, and other positions aligned with conservative Christianity in the United States.

Issue advocacy as a function of press releases (2017)[10]

1. Religious liberty (45.0%)
2. Opposition to abortion (22.0%)
3. Opposition to same-sex marriage (21.0%)
4. Not specified (12.0%)

### Religion in public institutions

[edit]

According to materials for its donors, ADF seeks to spread a belief in "the framers' original intent for the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights as it reflects God's natural law and God's higher law."[85] Before taking the oath of office as Speaker of the House of Representatives, current[update], former ADF lawyer Mike Johnson stated, "The Bible is very clear that God is the one that raises up those in authority ... each of you, all of us."[23] The organization pursues "strategies for reclaiming the judicial system as it was originally envisioned," most notably through litigation.[85]

The ADF has been involved in several United States Supreme Court cases that would permit equal access to public buildings and public funds for religious organisations, such as Rosenberger v. University of Virginia (1995) and Good News Club v. Milford Central School (2001). ADF also supported allowing prayer at the start of monthly public town meetings (see Town of Greece v. Galloway) and the use of religious displays (such as crosses and other religious monuments) in public buildings and on public lands.[86]

#### Parental rights regarding sex education in schools

[edit]

ADF has argued that parents who object to sex education on religious grounds should have the right to opt not to have their children attend.[86]

#### Christian-only adoption

[edit]

In 2022, ADF took on a case defending a Tennessee-based Christian adoption agency that refused to work with Jewish prospective parents.[87][88][89][90] The case, which names the State of Tennessee as a defendant for its law permitting religious organizations to reject applicants based on faith, was dismissed on technical grounds.[91] The case was appealed to the Tennessee Court of Appeals,[91][92] which reversed the trial-court panel's decision on August 24, 2023, agreeing that the prospective parents and all the other plaintiffs have the right to bring the lawsuit. The Tennessee Department of Children's Services then filed an application seeking review of the case by the Tennessee Supreme Court, which the court denied on May 16, 2024.[93]

Commenting on an earlier case in South Carolina, an ADF spokesperson expressed support for an evangelical foster care provider in South Carolina that rejects Jewish prospective parents, as well as LGBTQ people, atheists, and other non-Christians.[94][95] The agency, Miracle Hill Ministries, is the largest foster and adoption agency in South Carolina and receives public funding; its president has stated that its religious discrimination policy is justified, because "We look like a social service agency, but we're a community of Christ followers and our faith in Christ is the most important part of who we are."[96][97] A Catholic woman sued the agency after being rejected on the basis of religion, but the agency later changed its rules to permit "Catholics who affirm Miracle Hill's doctrinal statement in belief and practice to serve as foster parents and employees."[98]

At the request of South Carolina governor Henry McMaster, the Trump administration granted the organization a waiver of federal non-discrimination law. An ADF spokesperson indicated that the organization is "grateful [to] HHS and South Carolina" for granting the waiver, which allows the agency to continue to restrict fostering and adoption work to those who endorse evangelical beliefs.[94][95][99]

### Opposing LGBTQ rights

[edit]

In 2003, ADF unsuccessfully called for the recriminalization of homosexual acts in the U.S. (prior to 1962, sodomy had been a felony in every U.S. state), filing a Supreme Court brief supporting Texas' sodomy law in the landmark Lawrence v. Texas case which declared sodomy laws unconstitutional; it linked homosexuality to pedophilia.[12] ADF also opposes same-sex marriage and civil unions, as well as adoption by same-sex couples, based on its leaders' "belief that God created men, women, and families such that children thrive best in homes with a married mother and father."[100][101] ADF provided legal support to the defendants in two Supreme Court cases dealing with the intersection of freedom of religion against Colorado's anti-discrimination laws for public-serving businesses, Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission (2018) and 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis (2022); in both cases, the underlying issue was whether Christian business owners, under the anti-discrimination law, were compelled to create works with LGBT messaging that they said went against their Christian faith. In 2021, the Supreme Court declined to consider an appeal from ADF attorneys on behalf of a florist who refused to serve her clients' same-sex wedding, with three of the nine justices indicating they were willing to hear the case.[102]

The organization has worked internationally to prevent decriminalization of homosexuality in Jamaica and Belize.[103] The SPLC has reported on ADF support for a law criminalizing same-sex sexual acts in Belize (ruled unconstitutional in 2016).[104][105] The ADF denied playing any role in the case.[106] In the United Kingdom, ADF International advocated in favor of a mother's custody of her child, against the custody of the child's father and his same-sex partner.[57] ADF also has links to the former prime minister of Australia, Tony Abbott, an outspoken opponent of the legalization of same-sex marriage in Australia. Abbott gave a speech to ADF regarding marriage in 2016.[107]

ADF opposes transgender rights based on the idea that "God creates each person with an immutable biological sex—male or female..."[108] The organization has litigated against transgender employment protections, access to bathrooms, and participation in sports for transgender people. Members of ADF also authored model legislation for bathroom bills in the United States, aimed at restricting transgender people's use of single-sex public bathrooms.[13] In 2020, the ADF lost a Supreme Court case in which ADF attorneys defended a funeral home that fired a trans employee in the Supreme Court case, R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes Inc. v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, losing in a 6–3 vote.[109]

The organization has worked to prevent transgender athletes from competing in sex-segregated sports on the basis of their gender identity, through lawsuits and by lobbying state legislatures.[110][111] In April 2022, ADF-affiliated lawyers defended a professor at Shawnee State University, Ohio, who refused to use preferred pronouns when referring to a transgender student; the university agreed to a $400,000 settlement with the professor.[112]

In Europe, ADF International has supported mandatory genital surgery (and consequent sterilization) of transgender people before they are allowed to change the gender marker on government IDs.[14] However, a decision by the European Court of Human Rights, A.P., Garçon and Nicot v. France, has led France, Greece, Portugal, and several other countries to allow non-medical pathways to gender marker change.[113]

In June 2022, several groups opposing trans rights, including Alliance Defending Freedom, WDI USA, Family Research Council and Women's Liberation Front, organized a rally in Washington D.C. supporting single-sex athletic competition.[114]

In June 2023, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in favor of the plaintiff, represented by ADF, for the 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis case.[115][116][117][118][119][120] The ruling sparked widespread criticism regarding whether the plaintiff lacked standing.[121][122][123][124][125][126] These criticisms prompted several articles myth-busting the attackers on the plaintiff's standing.[127][128][129][130][131][132]

### Opposing abortion, birth control, and euthanasia

[edit]

ADF has long opposed abortion, and has litigated to restrict access to abortion and contraception in the US and in other countries. The ADF was a key participant in the 2022 case, Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, that ended the Right to an abortion in the first 24 weeks and returning the power to the States to regulate abortion.

The ADF represents the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. US Food and Drug Administration,[133][134] a case where the plaintiff has challenged the U.S Food and Drug Agency's longstanding approval of mifepristone, a drug frequently used in medical abortion procedures.[135][136][137]

One of its most notable legal battles was a 2014 case challenging the Affordable Care Act. In Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., the Court ruled that the birth control mandate in employee-funded health plans when the company is "closely-held" violated the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993. The case set a precedent for allowing corporations and individuals to make religious claims for exemption from laws and regulations based on a religious freedom argument.[46][138][139][140] The United States Supreme Court held that privately held corporations could be exempt from Affordable Care Act regulations if the owners asserted religiously objections, basing the decision on the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993. The decision meant that many employers could decide not to cover contraceptives through their health insurance plans.[141][142]

In 2014, lawyers from the organization represented parents who wanted public schools to remove pages from a biology textbook that mentioned abortion and sexually transmitted diseases.[143]

#### International anti-abortion work

[edit]

ADF has led an international campaign to influence and restrict the right to abortion.[144] The organization takes the position that healthcare workers have a right to refuse to provide care for abortion and other practices the individual finds morally objectionable.[145] ADF has backed anti-abortion causes in Ireland,[57] El Salvador, Colombia, Poland and Sweden.[146] In the United Kingdom, the group has campaigned against buffer zones around abortion clinics.[147]

In Sweden, a midwife, Ellinor Grimmark, sued the province of Jönköping for discrimination because she was refused employment when, citing "freedom of conscience", she refused to give morning-after pills, perform abortions, or put in copper IUDs. She lost both her hearing before the Discrimination Ombudsman, and at the Jönköping district court.[148] The proceedings in the Labor Court of Sweden began on January 24, 2017, and her case received both legal and financial aid from ADF. Grimmark's legal representative, Ruth Nordström, was a registered partner of ADF,[149] and both Grimmark and Nordström participated in ADFs marketing films.[150] Nordström co-wrote an opinion piece opposing abortion rights with an ADF representative for Sveriges Television, Sweden's national public television broadcaster.[151]

#### Campaigns against assisted suicide

[edit]

The ADF has campaigned against the legalization of voluntary euthanasia in the United Kingdom.[147] The group has also challenged the right to euthanasia in Belgium, before the European Court of Human Rights.[152][153] ADF India also campaigns against assisted suicide and euthanasia.[154]

### COVID-19 restriction cases

[edit]

ADF has opposed government measures aimed at stopping the spread of COVID-19 in the United States and in other countries. In the US, ADF partnered with The Daily Wire in a legal challenge against the Biden administration's OSHA vaccine mandate.[155] In Uganda, ADF joined a Texas libertarian organization in backing a campaign to end restrictions on large gatherings that the government had implemented to reduce COVID-19 spread.[156] ADF brought legal challenges against the Ugandan government's regulations on large gatherings.[157] In Scotland, ADF fought against COVID-19 regulations on large gatherings, claiming that the measures were unfair to religious groups.[158] The ADF-backed lawsuit won in Scotland's high court. A poll commissioned by the Humanist Society showed that more than three-quarters of Scots were opposed to the church's reopening and the Church of Scotland distanced itself from the legal action, saying that they accepted measures to prevent COVID-19 spread.[159]

### Non-profit donor disclosure

[edit]

In the US Supreme Court decision Americans for Prosperity Foundation v. Bonta (2021), ADF argued that non-profits should not be required to disclose the identities of their donors on California state tax returns. Donors who gave more than $5,000 or 2% of the total donations to a non-profit in a year were to be named on the state returns. In a victory for ADF, the court struck down the disclosure law as unconstitutional.[160]

## Other activities

[edit]

### Blackstone Legal Fellowship

[edit]

Blackstone Legal Fellowship, named after the English jurist William Blackstone, is ADF's summer legal training program. It was founded in 2000 for the purpose of preparing Christian law students for professional legal careers. The first class comprised 24 interns.[161] The program is made up of interns, called Fellows, from a diverse selection of law schools as well as elite institutions such as Harvard and Yale.[161] Amy Coney Barrett, who went on to be Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, was a paid speaker at Blackstone on five occasions between 2013 and 2017.[20]

### Public campaigns

[edit]

In 2003 the ADF launched the "Christmas Project", aiming to discourage non-Christian holidays from being celebrated and to promote Christmas celebrations in public schools.[162][163] The annual initiative was organized in an effort to prevent school districts from holding secular holiday celebrations, or what the organization called the "censorship of Christmas". In its press release ADF singled out the American Civil Liberties Union as the chief target of the campaign.[164] By 2004, the organization had contacted 3,600 school districts to inform them that they were not required by the Constitution to have holiday celebrations inclusive of all religions.[162]

In 2005 the ADF and Focus on the Family began sponsoring a counter-protest called the Day of Truth (later called "Day of Dialogue") to oppose the annual Day of Silence, an annual event to promote awareness of anti-LGBT bullying and harassment in schools. The ADF asserted that 1,100 students from 350 schools participated in ADF's event, which ADF billed as a response to the "homosexual agenda".[165]

### Church political activity and tax exemption

[edit]

Pulpit Freedom Sunday in 2011

In 2008, ADF launched the first Pulpit Freedom Sunday to promote political messaging and endorsements in Christian pastors' sermons in defiance of the prohibition on political endorsements by non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations under the 1954 Johnson Amendment.[166][22][167] The practice of political endorsement is not broadly accepted within the evangelical community, with most Evangelical pastors opposed as of 2017.[168]

Pulpit Freedom Sunday is an initiative aimed to overturn the Johnson Amendment, which restricts political campaigning by tax-exempt non-profit organizations, which includes most churches. According to The New York Times, ADF's campaign is "perhaps its most aggressive effort."[22] In the first year about 35 pastors participated, in what they consider an act of civil disobedience, endorsing political candidates in their sermons and defying the Internal Revenue Service regulations. In Minnesota, Reverend Gus Booth encouraged his congregation to vote for John McCain rather than Barack Obama.[169] As of 2014[update], participation in the event had grown to about 1,800 pastors. The IRS indicated that it would increase enforcement of the Johnson Amendment.[170]

## Reception

[edit]

Principal concerns of the ADF have been prohibiting abortion and opposing gay rights. Several founding members wrote books condemning homosexuality, including longtime president Alan Sears, who authored the 2003 book The Homosexual Agenda,[171][172] and Marlin Malloux, who wrote 1994's Answers to the Gay Deception.[173] D. James Kennedy dismissed same-sex marriage as "counterfeit"[174] and promoted pseudoscientific conversion therapy,[175] which helped launch a ministry aiming to help gay people "overcome" homosexuality.[176][177]

In July 2017, U.S. sitting Attorney General Jeff Sessions attended ADF's Summit on Religious Liberty. LGBTQ rights groups criticized Sessions for his participation at the event. Dominic Holden wrote in BuzzFeed News that ADF's growing influence within the federal government can be attributed to Sessions' support.[30][21]

The Nation, a progressive monthly magazine, describes ADF as a vanguard evangelical Christian legal advocacy group.[178] After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Politico and The New York Times Magazine identified ADF as being a prominent organization for battling conservative legal causes.[179][180][181] The organization's international division provides legal support to people who align with its American causes.[182]

The Southern Poverty Law Center listed the organization as an extremist anti-LGBTQ hate group in 2016. The group's designation "was a judgment call that went all the way up to top leadership at the SPLC."[183] According to the SPLC, the ADF was included on the list due to the group's filing of an amicus brief in the 2003 U.S. Supreme Court case Lawrence v. Texas, in which the ADF expressed support for upholding the state's right to criminalize consensual sexual acts between people of the same sex.[37] The SPLC has described the ADF as "virulently anti-gay".[12][184] The SPLC describes the group's mission as "making life as difficult as possible for LGBT communities in the U.S. and internationally."[37] The ADF has opposed its inclusion on the SPLC's list.[183] Farris has called the SPLC's designation of ADF as a hate group a "troubling smear" and "slander".[185]

In regards to anti-trans legislation efforts made by ADF, organizations such as GLAAD and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) have claimed that ADF works with other extremist groups to oppress marginalized people.[186] In 2022, ADF authored at least 130 bills in 34 states; more than 30 were passed into law.[187]

Some opponents of the Pulpit Freedom Sunday movement have voiced concern about permitting churches to endorse politicians because it would allow political donors to remain anonymous and to get tax breaks for their donations.[188] Unlike other non-profits, churches are not required to make financial disclosures, so churches endorsing politicians could act as funnels for anonymous campaign donations, or "dark money".[167]

## Associated people

[edit]

The following people are currently or have been affiliated or associated with ADF:

* Tony Abbott, former prime minister of Australia[107]
* William Barr, former US Attorney General under George H. W. Bush and Donald Trump, ADF Award recipient in 2021[29]
* Amy Coney Barrett, Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, previously taught constitutional law at Blackstone Legal Fellowship[20][27]
* Bill Bright founder of Campus Crusade for Christ and ADF[189]
* J. Budziszewski, professor, member of advisory board of Blackstone[190]
* Larry Burkett founder of Crown Financial Ministries and ADF[189]
* Paul Coleman, executive director of ADF International[191]
* Chapman B. Cox, former General Counsel of the United States Department of Defense, ADF chairman emeritus[192]
* Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List and member of ADF Board[192]
* James Dobson founder of Focus on the Family and ADF[189]
* Kyle Duncan, judge appointed by Trump to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, speaker for ADF in 2007, 2008, and 2009[193]
* Michael Farris, president and CEO from 2017 to 2022[49][55]
* David A. French, New York Times columnist, former Senior Counsel at ADF, formerly a journalist at National Review and The Dispatch[194]
* Robert P. George, legal scholar, member of Blackstone Advisory Board[190]
* Mary Ann Glendon, former U. S. Ambassador to the Holy See, member of Blackstone Advisory Board[190]
* Erin Hawley, ADF senior counsel (spouse of Senator Josh Hawley)[32]
* Josh Hawley, U.S. Senator for Missouri, former member of Blackstone Fellowship[31] (spouse of Erin Hawley)
* Mike Johnson, former ADF attorney, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives (Representative of Louisiana)[195][26]
* Michael J. Juneau, judge of the U.S. District Court, Western District of Louisiana[196]
* D. James Kennedy founder of Coral Ridge Ministries and ADF[189]
* Charles LiMandri, attorney associated with the Mount Soledad Cross lawsuits
* Marlin Maddoux president, International Christian Media and ADF founder[189]
* Edwin Meese, former Attorney General of the United States, member of Blackstone Advisory Board[190]
* Mike Pence, former Vice President of the United States; appointed former ADF President Michael Farris to his Advancing American Freedom Advisory Board[28]
* William Pew, co-founder of ADF[189]
* Charles W. Pickering, former judge for the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, ADF Board member[192]
* Charles E. Rice, legal scholar, member of Blackstone Advisory Board[190]
* Allison Jones Rushing, judge of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals[197][198]
* Andrew Sandlin, Christian minister, faculty member at Blackstone[190]
* Alan Seabaugh, member of Louisiana legislature, ADF-allied attorney[199]
* Alan Sears, attorney, and founder and first president and CEO of ADF
* Jeff Sessions, former U.S. Attorney General under Donald Trump and U.S. Senator for Alabama[21][30]
* Brantley Starr, United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas.[200]
* Ken Starr, judge and independent counsel in Clinton impeachment, member of ADF's Supreme Court Advisory Council[201]
* Lawrence VanDyke, federal judge for the Ninth Circuit, former ADF legal intern and law student training panelist[202]
* Kristen Waggoner, ADF President and CEO as of 2022
* Doug Wardlow, former Minnesota legislator, former lawyer at ADF[203][204]

## See also

[edit]

* Conservatism portal
* Christianity portal
* Law portal
* United States portal

* Alliance for Therapeutic Choice and Scientific Integrity
* American Center for Law and Justice
* American Family Association
* Americans United for Life
* Becket Law
* Center for Individual Rights
* Christian Legal Society
* Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission
* Family Policy Council
* Federalist Society
* First Liberty Institute
* The Heritage Foundation
* Liberty Counsel
* Liberty University
* List of court cases involving Alliance Defending Freedom
* National Association of Evangelicals
* National Organization for Marriage
* National Right to Life Committee
* Operation Rescue
* Pacific Justice Institute
* Regent University
* Thomas More Society

## References

[edit]

Notes

1. ^ a b "Alliance Defending Freedom Archived September 18, 2016, at the Wayback Machine". Business Entity Details. State Corporation Commission. Commonwealth of Virginia. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
2. ^ Feddern, Mark; Eckman, Jacqueline (May 1, 2015). Return of organization exempt from income tax 2013: Alliance Defending Freedom (PDF) (Form 990). EIN 541660459\. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 15, 2017. Retrieved December 26, 2018 - via Guidestar.
3. ^ a b "Alliance Defending Freedom - Nonprofit Explorer". ProPublica. May 18, 2021. Archived from the original on April 25, 2022. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
4. ^ "ADF names new president, CEO". Alliance Defending Freedom. August 19, 2022. Archived from the original on October 4, 2022. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
5. ^ a b c d e Eggleston, Rebecca; Batson, Ted R. Jr. (May 11, 2023). Return of organization exempt from income tax 2021: Alliance Defending Freedom (PDF) (Form 990). EIN 541660459\. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 1, 2023. Retrieved June 18, 2023 - via adflegal.org.
6. ^ a b Eggleston, Rebecca; Capin Crouse LLC (May 11, 2023). Return of organization exempt from income tax 2021: Alliance Defending Freedom (Form 990). EIN 541660459. Retrieved August 12, 2023 - via ProPublica.
7. ^ a b Stewart, Katherine (2011). The Good News Club: The Christian Right's Stealth Assault on America's Children. PublicAffairs. ISBN 978-1586488437.
8. ^ "Company Profile: Alliance Defending Freedom". Bloomberg.com. Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved July 30, 2022.
9. ^ "Who is Alliance Defending Freedom? Christian Legal Powerhouse Behind Supreme Court Abortion Victory". Newsweek. June 26, 2018. Retrieved April 6, 2025.
10. ^ a b Bennett, Daniel (September 19, 2017). "Masterpiece Cakeshop: Meet the Christian Legal Group Behind the High-Profile Court Case". Religion & Politics. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. Archived from the original on November 22, 2017. Retrieved February 14, 2018.
11. ^ a b c Vile, John. "Alliance Defending Freedom". The First Amendment Encyclopedia. Middle Tennessee State University. Archived from the original on December 1, 2021. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
12. ^ a b c d e "Alliance Defending Freedom". Southern Poverty Law Center. Archived from the original on August 29, 2017. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
13. ^ a b Avery, Dan (February 17, 2021). "State anti-transgender bills represent coordinated attack, advocates say". NBC News. Archived from the original on June 3, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
14. ^ a b Amend, Alex (July 27, 2017). "Anti-LGBT Hate Group Alliance Defending Freedom Defended State-Enforced Sterilization for Transgender Europeans". Southern Poverty Law Center. Archived from the original on December 16, 2017. Retrieved November 26, 2017.
15. ^ "How the group behind the Supreme Court abortion drug case is expanding its fight globally". CBS News. June 14, 2024. Retrieved May 27, 2025.
16. ^ "International Overview". Alliance Defending Freedom. Archived from the original on February 14, 2018. Retrieved February 14, 2018.
17. ^ "About Us". ADF International. Archived from the original on March 22, 2022. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
18. ^ Roach, David (July 27, 2022). "Religious Liberty Firm Goes Global with 1,500 International Cases". Christianity Today. Archived from the original on July 30, 2022. Retrieved July 30, 2022.
19. ^ a b Bennett, Daniel (2017). Defending Faith: The Politics of the Christian Conservative Legal Movement. University Press of Kansas. ISBN 978-0700624607.
20. ^ a b c d Brown, Emma; Swaine, John (September 27, 2020). "Amy Coney Barrett, Supreme Court nominee, spoke at program founded to inspire a 'distinctly Christian worldview in every area of law'". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on March 13, 2022. Retrieved January 24, 2022. "The group changed its name to Alliance Defending Freedom in 2012 and has grown into a legal and financial powerhouse."
21. ^ a b c d Holden, Dominic (December 4, 2017). "How This Anti-Trump Evangelical Is Quietly Taking Advantage of The Trump Presidency". BuzzFeed News. Archived from the original on February 15, 2018. Retrieved February 16, 2018. "In the 10 months since Farris took over, he has shepherded the group from relative obscurity to arguably become the most influential — and increasingly prominent — conservative law group in the United States."
22. ^ a b c d e f g Eckholm, Eric (May 11, 2014). "Legal Alliance Gains Host of Court Victories for Conservative Christian Movement". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 22, 2018. Retrieved January 21, 2018. "Alliance Defending Freedom, which, with its $40 million annual budget, 40-plus staff lawyers and hundreds of affiliated lawyers, has emerged as the largest legal force of the religious right, arguing hundreds of pro bono cases across the country."
23. ^ a b Smith, Peter (October 27, 2023). "Christian right cheers new House speaker, conservative evangelical Mike Johnson, as one of their own". Texarkana Gazette. Retrieved October 29, 2023. "Evangelical Christian conservatives have long had allies in top Republican leadership in Congress. But never before have they had one so thoroughly embedded in their movement as new House Speaker Mike Johnson. ... Johnson served as an attorney with what's now known as Alliance Defending Freedom, one of the foremost legal advocates of causes valued by many on the religious right."
24. ^ Pauly, Madison (October 26, 2023). "Mike Johnson's Long Flirtation With Christian Nationalism: The new speaker has a lengthy association with far-right activism". Mother Jones. Retrieved October 29, 2023. "Long before he was even elected to the Louisiana legislature, he spent years as an attorney and spokesperson for the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a powerful conservative organization that carries out much of the Christian right's legal agenda."
25. ^ "Congressman Mike Johnson Elected Speaker of the House". United States House of Representatives. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
26. ^ a b Quinn, Melissa; Watson, Kathryn (October 25, 2023). "Mike Johnson elected House speaker with unanimous GOP support, ending weeks of chaos". CBS News. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
27. ^ a b Holden, Emily (October 5, 2020). "Leader of non-profit labeled 'hate group' attended White House Amy Coney Barrett event". The Guardian. Archived from the original on July 24, 2022. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
28. ^ a b Brigham, Bob (April 10, 2021). "Mike Pence caught quietly adding hate group leader to his new organization's advisory board". Salon. Archived from the original on March 22, 2022. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
29. ^ a b "William Barr is a Friend of Freedom". Alliance Defending Freedom. May 21, 2021. Archived from the original on March 20, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
30. ^ a b c Laura Jarrett (July 13, 2017). "Sessions reveals in closed-door speech new protections for religious liberty on the way". CNN. Archived from the original on August 11, 2017. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
31. ^ a b Fenske, Sarah (June 29, 2018). "As a Mizzou Prof, Josh Hawley Took Money from Anti-Gay 'Alliance Defending Freedom'". The Riverfront Times. Archived from the original on September 28, 2018. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
32. ^ a b "Erin M. Hawley - Senior Counsel, Alliance Defending Freedom". Federalist Society. September 2022. Archived from the original on September 30, 2022. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
33. ^ Mascaro, Lisa (August 29, 2023). "Conservative Groups Draw Up Plan to Dismantle the US Government and Replace It with Trump's Vision". Associated Press. Archived from the original on September 22, 2023. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
34. ^ Belanger, Ashley (April 27, 2023). "WebOps platform Pantheon defends hosting 'hate groups' as developers quit". Ars Technica. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
35. ^ Contrera, Jessica. "Inside the Christian legal powerhouse that keeps winning at the Supreme Court". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 2, 2018. Retrieved October 26, 2018.
36. ^ a b "Who We Are". Alliance Defending Freedom. February 11, 2021. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
37. ^ a b c O'Hara, Mary Emily (April 8, 2017). "This Law Firm Is Linked to Anti-Transgender Bathroom Bills Across the Country". NBC News. Archived from the original on August 5, 2017. Retrieved August 5, 2017.
38. ^ "Scottsdale couple receive Church's highest honor for laity". July 6, 2017.
39. ^ "Alliance Defending Freedom Archived July 2, 2017, at the Wayback Machine". Exempt Organization Select Check. Internal Revenue Service. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
40. ^ McFeely, Tom (January 18, 2012). "Alliance Defense Fund's Chief Convert Archived October 14, 2017, at the Wayback Machine" [interview with Alan Sears]. National Catholic Register. ncregister.com. Retrieved October 14, 2017. Referring to Ron Rosenberger and his volunteer lawyer, Alan Sears explains that ADF "raised money, and ... funded the petition for certiorari that asked the United States Supreme Court to hear their case" and that later it "funded the costs of the case and a number of amicus briefs."
41. ^ Sears, Alan; Craig Osten (2005). The ACLU vs. America: Exposing the Agenda to Redefine Moral Values. B&H Books. ISBN 978-0-8054-4045-4. "As a result of the work of the American Civil Liberties Union and their war on America, we now live in a country where the church has been progressively silenced, parental authority has been undermined, children are less safe, and human life continues to be cheapened-both at birth and death. ... But there is hope. Many Americans are waking up to the dangerous agenda of the ACLU."
42. ^ "Alliance Defense Fund now Alliance Defending Freedom" (Press release). Alliance Defending Freedom. July 9, 2012. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
43. ^ O'Malley, Nick (January 25, 2016). "Inside the Alliance Defending Freedom, the 'gay-hate' group hosting Tony Abbott". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
44. ^ Montini, E. J. "Montini: Business wants to use religion to discriminate against same-sex couples". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
45. ^ Stewart, Katherine; Shephard, Alex; Shephard, Alex; McCrary, Charles; Ribovich, Leslie; McCrary, Charles; Ribovich, Leslie; Ford, Matt; Ford, Matt (July 11, 2022). "How Leonard Leo Became the Power Broker of the American Right". The New Republic. ISSN 0028-6583. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
46. ^ a b Allison, Sherry (December 5, 2017). "Who Is The Alliance Defending Freedom, The Legal Team Behind Masterpiece Cakeshop?". Colorado Public Radio. Archived from the original on January 30, 2018. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
47. ^ "Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc". Archived from the original on June 29, 2022. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
48. ^ Bill Mears (June 30, 2014). "A Mennonite family's fight over Obamacare reaches Supreme Court". CNN. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
49. ^ a b c "ADF Names New CEO". Alliance Defending Freedom. Archived from the original on January 12, 2017. Retrieved January 11, 2017.
50. ^ Stengel, Richard; Chua-Eoan, H. G.; Constable, A.; Taylor, E. (July 21, 1986). "Sex Busters". Time. pp. 12–22\. Archived from the original on July 23, 2022. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
51. ^ Schultz, Jeffrey (1992). "Meese Report". Encyclopedia.com. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
52. ^ Michael Farris (July 5, 2016). "I helped start the Moral Majority, and Trump's the opposite of what we want". Tulsa World. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
53. ^ Farris, Michael (November 30, 2020). "Bill of Complaint, STATE OF A, Plaintiff, v. COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, STATE OF, STATE OF ARIZONA, STATE OF GEORGIA, STATE OF MICHIGAN, STATE OF MINNESOTA, STATE OF NEVADA, AND STATE OF WISCONSIN" (PDF). Retrieved August 26, 2023.
54. ^ Lipton, Eric; Walker, Mark (October 7, 2021). "Christian Conservative Lawyer Had Secretive Role in Bid to Block Election Result". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on October 7, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
55. ^ a b "ADF names new president, CEO". Alliance Defending Freedom. August 19, 2022. Archived from the original on October 4, 2022. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
56. ^ "A.P. Garçon Nicot v. France, APPLICATION NOS: 79885/12 52471/13, 52596/13" (PDF). European Court of Human Rights Fifth Section. 2015. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
57. ^ a b c Provost, Claire; Milburn, Ella (December 13, 2017). "Christian 'legal army' in hundreds of court battles worldwide". OpenDemocracy. Archived from the original on March 22, 2022. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
58. ^ a b c Pegg, David (March 28, 2019). "US fundamentalists spent £38m on European politics". The Guardian. Archived from the original on July 26, 2019. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
59. ^ a b c "Transparency Register". European Union. March 17, 2022. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
60. ^ "ADF India". Archived from the original on March 6, 2023. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
61. ^ Capin Crouse (October 27, 2022). "Alliance Defending Freedom and Affiliates – Consolidated Financial Statements With Independent Auditors Report, June 30, 2022 and 2021" (PDF). Retrieved August 26, 2023.
62. ^ a b "Transparency Register". European Union. March 16, 2023. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
63. ^ Perez, Andrew (February 6, 2023). "The Far Right Is Funding Evangelical Super Bowl Sunday Ads". Jacobin. Archived from the original on March 14, 2023. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
64. ^ Chrissy Stroop (March 21, 2022). "Behind the Inclusive-Sounding Ads of this $100 Million PR-Blitz-for-Jesus it's the Same Old Conservative Christian Fantasy". Religion Dispatches. Archived from the original on March 6, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
65. ^ Baer, Maria (March 11, 2022). "$100M Ad Campaign Aims to Make Jesus the 'Biggest Brand in Your City'". Christianity Today. Archived from the original on March 6, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
66. ^ a b Willingham, AJ (February 13, 2023). "The truth behind the 'He Gets Us' ads for Jesus airing during the Super Bowl". CNN. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
67. ^ a b Wright, Matthew (February 12, 2024). "Billionaire family aims to convert Super Bowl fans with 'haters' campaign". MSN. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
68. ^ a b "Alliance Defending Freedom". Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
69. ^ a b Biron, Bethany (October 21, 2022). "16 of the biggest controversies in Hobby Lobby's 50-year history — from denying contraceptives for employees to illegally smuggling ancient tablets". Business Insider. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
70. ^ "The Bolthouse Foundation". The Bolthouse Foundation. April 8, 2013. Archived from the original on April 22, 2017. Retrieved September 24, 2013.
71. ^ Posner, Sarah (April 1, 2007). "The Legal Muscle Leading the Fight to End the Separation of Church and State". The Washington Spectator Online. Archived from the original on August 31, 2007.
72. ^ "Affirmation of Faith". Bolthouse Foundation. Archived from the original on May 30, 2017. Retrieved August 13, 2015.
73. ^ Curtis, Polly; Quinn, Ben (September 2, 2011). "Abortion debate: Dorries campaign urged to reveal how it is funded". The Guardian. Archived from the original on January 10, 2016. Retrieved August 13, 2015.
74. ^ Armiak, David (November 29, 2021). "Koch Spent Nearly $150 Million in 2020 to Extend His Influence and Promote His Agenda". Center for Media and Democracy. Archived from the original on March 23, 2022. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
75. ^ Monahan, Rachel (April 11, 2016). "A Vancouver Charity is Funding a Group Backing North Carolina's Anti-Transgender "Bathroom Bill"". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on April 13, 2016. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
76. ^ "303 CREATIVE LLC, ET AL., Petitioners, v. AUBREY ELENIS, ET AL., Respondents". December 5, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2025.
77. ^ "303 CREATIVE LLC ET AL. v. ELENIS ET AL" (PDF). Supreme Court. June 30, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2025.
78. ^ a b "Securing Freedom's Future at the U.S. Supreme Court" (PDF). Retrieved April 5, 2025.
79. ^ "NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FAMILY AND LIFE ADVOCATES, DBA NIFLA, ET AL., Petitioners, v. XAVIER BECERRA, ATTORNEY GENERAL OF CALIFORNIA, ET AL., Respondents". March 20, 2018. Retrieved April 14, 2025.
80. ^ "Supreme Court to hear anti-abortion and free speech case: A breakdown of NIFLA v. Becerra". Fox News. November 16, 2017. Retrieved April 5, 2025.
81. ^ "Opinion analysis: Divided court rules for anti-abortion pregnancy centers in challenge to California law". SCOTUSBlog. June 26, 2018. Retrieved April 5, 2025.
82. ^ Good News Club v. Milford Central School, 533 U.S. 98, 107 (2001).
83. ^ Joel Stashenko (February 3, 2009). "Conservative Christian Group Targets New York". Law.com. Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved April 18, 2025.
84. ^ Littlefield, Amy (November 30, 2021). "The Christian Legal Army Behind the Ban on Abortion in Mississippi". The Nation. Archived from the original on December 4, 2022. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
85. ^ a b Feddern, Mark; Sanders, Vicki (February 20, 2009). Return of organization exempt from income tax 2007: Alliance Defense Fund Inc (Form 990). EIN 541660459\. Archived from the original on October 26, 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2022 - via ProPublica.
86. ^ a b Gizzi, John (2009). "Alliance Defense Fund Promotes Religious Freedom". Human Events. 65 (28): 21.
87. ^ Whetstone, Tyler. "Tennessee-based adoption agency refuses to help couple because they're Jewish". Knoxville News Sentinel. Archived from the original on January 27, 2022. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
88. ^ Hauser, Christine (January 22, 2022). "Tennessee Couple Says Adoption Agency Turned Them Away for Being Jewish". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on January 28, 2022. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
89. ^ "Lawsuit: Tennessee adoption agency turned away Jewish couple". Associated Press. January 21, 2022. Archived from the original on January 28, 2022. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
90. ^ Yang, Maya (January 22, 2022). "Tennessee Jewish couple sues state after Christian adoption agency denies them services". The Guardian. Archived from the original on July 24, 2022. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
91. ^ a b Mattise, Jonathan (July 5, 2022). "Judges dismiss Jewish couple's suit alleging adoption bias". Archived from the original on July 24, 2022. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
92. ^ "Rutan-Ram v. Tennessee Department of Children's Services". July 21, 2022. Archived from the original on July 24, 2022. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
93. ^ Brown, Melissa (May 17, 2024). "Lawsuit alleging religious discrimination in Tennessee adoption law can proceed". Knox News. Retrieved March 13, 2025.
94. ^ a b Smith, Tim (October 23, 2018). "Religious freedom or discrimination? Anti-Defamation League fights Miracle Hill request". Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
95. ^ a b Currie, Lydia (February 7, 2019). "I Was Barred From Becoming a Foster Parent Because I Am Jewish". Archived from the original on May 13, 2022. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
96. ^ Davis, Angelia (January 23, 2019). "Miracle Hill gets religious exemption to provide foster care in SC despite complaints". The Greenville News. Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
97. ^ Posner, Sarah (June 15, 2018). "South Carolina Sought an Exemption to Allow a Foster-Care Agency to Discriminate Against Non-Christians". The Nation. Archived from the original on June 11, 2022. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
98. ^ Schiffer, Kathy (July 24, 2019). "Miracle Hill Ministries Changes Rule, Accepts Catholic Foster Parents". National Catholic Register. Archived from the original on July 24, 2022. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
99. ^ Richardson, Valerie (January 28, 2019). "Miracle Hill Ministries foster care targeted in religious-freedom fight". The Washington Times. Archived from the original on May 19, 2022. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
100. ^ "Churches Face Mounting Religious Liberty Threats". Alliance Defending Freedom Church Alliance. Archived from the original on April 3, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
101. ^ "Christian adoption agencies to US Supreme Court: Let us help children find loving homes". Alliance Defending Freedom. June 3, 2020. Archived from the original on January 31, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
102. ^ Hurley, Lawrence (July 2, 2021). "U.S. Supreme Court rebuffs appeal by florist who spurned gay couple". Reuters. Archived from the original on January 28, 2022. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
103. ^ Compton, Julie (November 14, 2018). "Activists take aim at anti-LGBTQ 'hate group,' Alliance Defending Freedom". NBC News. Archived from the original on July 27, 2019. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
104. ^ Staff (July 2013) "Dangerous Liaisons: The American Religious Right & the Criminalization of Homosexuality in Belize" Archived October 27, 2021, at the Wayback Machine Southern Poverty Law Center
105. ^ "Belize Supreme Court Overturns Anti-Gay Law". August 10, 2016. Archived from the original on November 22, 2018. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
106. ^ "Caleb On "Dangerous Liaisons" Report". 7 News Belize. July 26, 2013. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
107. ^ a b Doran, Matthew; Roscoe Whalan (January 25, 2016). "Tony Abbott to address US conservative Christian lobby group on marriage views". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on August 16, 2016. Retrieved February 14, 2018.
108. ^ "Statement of Faith". Alliance Defending Freedom. January 15, 2020. Archived from the original on March 20, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
109. ^ Hurley, Lawrence (June 15, 2020). "In landmark ruling, Supreme Court bars discrimination against LGBT workers". Reuters. Archived from the original on June 15, 2020. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
110. ^ Ennis, Dawn (February 12, 2020). "ADF sues Connecticut for letting trans girls compete in high school sports". Outsports. Archived from the original on April 11, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
111. ^ "Indiana transgender athlete ban draws increasing pushback". February 10, 2022. Archived from the original on March 20, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
112. ^ Lavietes, Matt (April 19, 2022). "Professor who wouldn't use trans student's pronouns wins $400K settlement". NBC News. Archived from the original on April 29, 2022. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
113. ^ Zhan Chiam; Sandra Duffy; Matilda González Gil; Lara Goodwin; Nigel Timothy Mpemba Patel (2020). Trans Legal Mapping Report 2019: Recognition before the law (PDF) (Report). ILGA World. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 27, 2023. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
114. ^ "Our Bodies, Our Sports". Archived from the original on June 21, 2022. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
115. ^ "Web designer wants legal fees for Supreme Court win in free speech, LGBT rights case". Reuters. July 26, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2025.
116. ^ "What the Supreme Court's gay wedding website ruling means for LGBTQ rights". NBC News. June 30, 2023. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
117. ^ Kruzel, John (July 3, 2023). "LGBT rights yield to religious interests at US Supreme Court". Reuters. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
118. ^ "The Supreme Court rules for a designer who doesn't want to make wedding websites for gay couples". Associated Press. June 30, 2023. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
119. ^ "Legitimacy of 'customer' in Supreme Court gay rights case raises ethical and legal flags". Associated Press. July 3, 2023. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
120. ^ Sosin, Kate (October 15, 2020). "Amy Coney Barrett Has Ties To an Anti-LGBTQ Hate Group". Ms. Magazine. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
121. ^ Cole, David (January 29, 2024). ""We Do No Such Thing": 303 Creative v. Elenis and the Future of First Amendment Challenges to Public Accommodations Laws". The Yale Law Journal. 133 - via Yale Law School.
122. ^ M. Re, Richard (November 29, 2023). "Does the Discourse on 303 Creative Portend a Standing Realignment?". Notre Dame Law Review Reflection. 99 (67) - via Notre Dame Law School.
123. ^ Morrison, Alan B. (September 15, 2023). "Standing When You Want It". American Constitution Society. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
124. ^ Baude, William; Bray, Samuel (November 13, 2023). "Proper Parties, Proper Relief". Harvard Law Review. 137 (1) - via Harvard Law School.
125. ^ Leah Barkoukis (July 7, 2023). "ADF Sets the Record Straight After the Left Attempts to Discredit 303 Creative Case". Townhall. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
126. ^ Swaine, Jon; Reinhard, Beth (September 27, 2023). "Inside the tactics that won Christian vendors the right to reject gay weddings". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
127. ^ "Foolish Arguments Against Standing in 303 Creative—Part 1". National Review. July 3, 2023.
128. ^ "Foolish Arguments Against Standing in 303 Creative—Part 2". National Review. July 3, 2023.
129. ^ "Foolish Arguments Against Standing in 303 Creative—Part 3". National Review. July 5, 2023.
130. ^ "More on Standing in 303 Creative". National Review. July 10, 2023.
131. ^ "Correcting the Record on the 'Fake' Same-Sex Couple in the 303 Creative Case". National Review. June 30, 2023.
132. ^ Sheth, Darpana (July 7, 2023). "Myth-busting reactions to the Supreme Court's decision in 303 Creative v. Elenis | The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression". thefire.org.
133. ^ "Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine et al v. U.S. Food and Drug Administration et al". law360.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2023. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
134. ^ Smith, Jordan (February 28, 2023). "The Shadow Medical Community Behind the Attempt to Ban Medication Abortion". The Intercept. Archived from the original on March 8, 2023. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
135. ^ McCann, Allison; Walker, Amy Schoenfeld (March 2, 2023). "Where Restrictions on Abortion Pills Could Matter Most in the U.S." The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on March 6, 2023. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
136. ^ "In lawsuit challenging FDA approval of abortion pills, state attorneys general weigh in". NBC News. February 11, 2023. Archived from the original on March 6, 2023. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
137. ^ Pierson, Brendan (January 17, 2023). "Reversing abortion drug's approval would harm public interest, U.S. FDA says". Reuters. Archived from the original on March 4, 2023. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
138. ^ Willis, David (June 30, 2014). "Hobby Lobby case: Court curbs contraception mandate". BBC News. Archived from the original on June 30, 2014. Retrieved June 30, 2014.
139. ^ O'Donoghue, Amy Joi (July 5, 2014). "Group protests Hobby Lobby decision on birth control". Deseret News. Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
140. ^ Barrett, Paul (July 7, 2014). "A Supreme Feud Over Birth Control: Four Blunt Points". BusinessWeek. Archived from the original on January 13, 2015. Retrieved July 17, 2014.
141. ^ Blake, Aaron (June 30, 2014). "A LOT of people could be affected by the Supreme Court's birth control decision — theoretically". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on April 4, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
142. ^ Mears, Bill; Tom Cohen (June 30, 2014). "Supreme Court rules against Obama in contraception case". CNN. Archived from the original on April 30, 2021. Retrieved June 30, 2014.
143. ^ Rick Rojas (November 28, 2014). "In Arizona, a Textbook Fuels a Broader Dispute Over Sex Education". The New York Times. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
144. ^ ADF website: Members of the European Parliament speak out for Freedom of Conscience Archived January 24, 2017, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 24, 2017
145. ^ Holst, Lindsay (June 30, 2014). "The Supreme Court's Hobby Lobby Decision". Archived from the original on April 23, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
146. ^ Cordero, Mónica; Cariboni, Diana; Ferreira, Lou (December 3, 2021). "US 'dark money' groups behind Mississippi abortion case spend millions overseas". Archived from the original on March 22, 2022. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
147. ^ a b Provost, Claire; Geoghegan, Peter (March 20, 2019). "Revealed: US anti-LGBT 'hate group' dramatically increases UK spending". openDemocracy. Archived from the original on November 30, 2021. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
148. ^ Sveriges Radio 24 januari 2017: Abortvägrande barnmorskor får stöd av amerikansk lobby Archived February 20, 2022, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 24, 2017
149. ^ ADF website 27 januari 2016: Sweden faces human rights problem Archived January 3, 2017, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 24, 2017
150. ^ Sveriges Radio 24 januari 2017: Abortvägrande barnmorskan välkomnar lobbyns stöd Archived August 25, 2017, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 24, 2017
151. ^ SVT 23 augusti 2013: Sverige behöver ett starkare rättsskydd för ofödda barn Archived October 2, 2022, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 24, 2017
152. ^ "The right to die in Belgium: An inside look at the world's most liberal euthanasia law". PBS NewsHour. PBS. January 15, 2015. Archived from the original on March 21, 2022. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
153. ^ Press Country Profile (PDF) (Report). European Court of Human Rights. January 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 4, 2022. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
154. ^ "Affirm Dignity - End Euthanasia". ADF India. June 17, 2020. Archived from the original on March 6, 2023. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
155. ^ Koeninger, Kevin (November 4, 2021). "Right-wing news outlet asks court to block employer vaccine mandate". Archived from the original on March 14, 2022. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
156. ^ McCool, Alice; Wepukhulu, Khatondi Soita (January 21, 2022). "US conservatives spreading anti-vax misinformation to unvaccinated Uganda". Open Democracy. Archived from the original on March 20, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
157. ^ "Challenging Uganda's Worship Ban #LetUsWorship". ADF International. Archived from the original on February 14, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
158. ^ "Open doors: court declares worship ban unlawful". ADF International. March 24, 2021. Archived from the original on February 1, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
159. ^ Learmonth, Andrew (February 17, 2022). "ADF International back Glasgow priest's Covid court battle with government". The National. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
160. ^ de Vogue, Ariane; Stracqualursi, Veronica; Schouten, Fredreka (July 1, 2021). "Supreme Court invalidates California's donor disclosure requirement". CNN. Archived from the original on July 1, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
161. ^ a b Dexter, Duggan (February 16, 2014). "How tomorrow's legal activists start the journey with a trip to Arizona". Arizona Daily Independent. Archived from the original on February 14, 2018. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
162. ^ a b "ADF Launches 'Christmas Project' to Protect Right to Religious Expression". The Christian Post. November 29, 2004. Archived from the original on February 16, 2018. Retrieved February 14, 2018.
163. ^ Dimond, Anna; Brown, Joe (October 14, 2007). "What is the Alliance Defense Fund, and why does Bill O'Reilly advocate donating to it?". Media Matters for America. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
164. ^ "Alliance Defense Fund Announces Plan to Fight Censorship of Christmas". Alliance Defending Freedom. October 20, 2003. Archived from the original on February 16, 2018. Retrieved February 14, 2018.
165. ^ Day of Truth participation statistics Archived June 26, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, Day of Truth website
166. ^ Gjelten, Tom (February 3, 2017). "The Johnson Amendment In 5 Questions And Answers". NPR. Archived from the original on July 24, 2022. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
167. ^ a b Vile, John (January 10, 2020). "Johnson Amendment". First Amendment Encyclopedia. Middle Tennessee State University. Archived from the original on July 24, 2022. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
168. ^ "Pastors shouldn't endorse politicians". National Alliance of Evangelicals. Archived from the original on February 27, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
169. ^ Lampman, Jane (September 26, 2008). "Pulpit politics: Pastors to defy IRS". The Christian Science Monitor. Archived from the original on February 5, 2018. Retrieved February 4, 2018.
170. ^ Kumar, Anugrah (October 11, 2014). "Over 1,800 Pastors Take Part in Pulpit Freedom Sunday". The Christian Post. Archived from the original on March 3, 2015. Retrieved February 4, 2018.
171. ^ Sears, Alan; Craig Osten (2003). The Homosexual Agenda: Exposing the Principal Threat to Religious Freedom Today. B&H Books. ISBN 978-0-8054-2698-4.
172. ^ Wilson-Hartgrove, Jonathan (July 31, 2018). "Opinion | Jeff Sessions' new "religious liberty task force" is a dangerous sham". NBC News. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
173. ^ Malloux, Marlin; Corbett, Christopher (1994). Answers to the Gay Deception. International Christian Media.
174. ^ "Dr. Kennedy Calls for Constitutional "Firewall" to Protect Marriage". November 19, 2003. Archived from the original on September 28, 2011. Retrieved April 28, 2007. D. James Kennedy described same-sex marriage as "counterfeit marriage"
175. ^ Kennedy, D. James; Newcombe, Jerry (2004). What's Wrong with Same-Sex Marriage?. Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books. pp. 11. ISBN 1581346638. D. James Kennedy promoted this therapy "for homosexuals who want to change, through the power of Jesus Christ."
176. ^ "Homepage". Exodus Freedom. Archived from the original on July 1, 2013. Retrieved June 12, 2021. James Dobson's Focus on the Family founded an "ex-gay" ministry called "Love Won Out" to change the behavior and identities of gay people.
177. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions". Love Won Out. Archived from the original on December 17, 2008. Retrieved December 19, 2008.
178. ^ Lehmann, Chris (October 5, 2023). "The Vanguard Party of the Christian Right". The Nation.
179. ^ Ward, Ian (March 25, 2024). "They Took Down Roe. Now They're Fighting Abortion Pills. How Far is Alliance Defending Freedom Willing to Go?". Politico.
180. ^ Gilsinan, Kathy (February 23, 2024). "'Josh Is a Show Pony. Erin Is a Workhorse.'". Politico.
181. ^ Dias, Elizabeth; Lerer, Lisa (May 28, 2024). "The Untold Story of the Network That Took Down Roe v. Wade". The New York Times.
182. ^ Ott, Haley; Lyons, Emmet (June 14, 2024). "How the group behind the Supreme Court abortion drug case is expanding its fight globally - CBS News". CBS News.
183. ^ a b Montgomery, David (November 8, 2018). "The State of Hate". The Washington Post Magazine. Archived from the original on September 24, 2021. Retrieved December 27, 2018.
184. ^ Nelson, Leah (Spring 2013). "The Last Word: The War On Krishna: Religious-right activists, fresh from the front lines of the War on Christmas, take on a new and dangerous pagan threat" Intelligence Report". Southern Poverty Law Center. Archived from the original on July 31, 2017. Retrieved July 15, 2017.
185. ^ Farris, Michael (August 17, 2018). "Southern Poverty Law Center 'Hate' Labels Deserve a Vigorous Response". National Review. Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved December 27, 2018.
186. ^ Adam Gabbatt (June 19, 2023). "Well-funded Christian group behind US effort to roll back LGBTQ+ rights". The Guardian. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
187. ^ "Alliance Defending Freedom: Staunch Enemy of Equality". HRC. January 22, 2024. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
188. ^ Brunson, Samuel (July 30, 2018). "Congress could declaw restrictions on politicking from the pulpit — over the objections of many churches". The Conversation. Archived from the original on July 24, 2022. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
189. ^ a b c d e f Sears, Alan (October 17, 2017). "With Gratitude, for the Giants Whose Shoulders ADF Stands On". Alliance Defending Freedom. Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
190. ^ a b c d e f "Blackstone Legal Fellowship". Alliance Defending Freedom. Archived from the original on February 3, 2018. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
191. ^ "Paul Coleman". ADF International. Archived from the original on March 22, 2022. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
192. ^ a b c "Leadership". Alliance Defending Freedom. 2018. Archived from the original on February 3, 2018. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
193. ^ Duncan, Stuart Kyle. "Kyle Duncan" (PDF). U.S. Senate Judiciary. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 19, 2018. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
194. ^ Ross, Janell (June 1, 2016). "Who, exactly, is David French, the 'Never Trump' white knight candidate?". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on January 18, 2017. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
195. ^ Lane, Emily (May 15, 2015). "Religious freedom bill sponsor Rep. Mike Johnson: Superman for Louisiana's religious right?". The Times-Picayune. Archived from the original on February 2, 2018. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
196. ^ Broach, Drew (January 19, 2018). "Kyle Duncan, Michael Juneau backed in 11-10 votes to be federal judges in Louisiana". The Times-Picayune. Archived from the original on February 2, 2018. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
197. ^ Jennifer Bendery (October 24, 2018). "Senate's Out? Nobody's Around? Perfect Time To Advance Trump's Court Picks, Says GOP". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on October 26, 2018. Retrieved October 26, 2018.
198. ^ "Trump's new federal judge has ties to anti-gay 'hate group'". NBC News. March 6, 2019. Archived from the original on March 7, 2019. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
199. ^ "Meet Alan". Alan Seabrough State Representative. Archived from the original on February 2, 2018. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
200. ^ "Legal experts question judge's order telling Southwest lawyers to get religious-liberty training". The Hill. August 12, 2023.
201. ^ "ADF celebrates extraordinary life of Judge Ken Starr, religious liberty champion". Alliance Defending Freedom Legal. September 14, 2022. Archived from the original on December 4, 2022. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
202. ^ "Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees - Lawrence VanDyke". U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
203. ^ Bierschbach, Briana (January 10, 2018). "The campaign to become Minnesota's next attorney general is crowded, intense — and very much under the radar". MinnPost. Archived from the original on January 18, 2018. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
204. ^ Villarreal, Daniel (February 17, 2021). "MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell's Lawyer Doug Wardlow Announces Run for Minnesota Attorney General". MSN. Archived from the original on May 18, 2021. Retrieved May 18, 2021.

## Further reading

[edit]

Wikinews has related news:

* US pastors plan to defy law and endorse candidates

* Budziszewski, J. (2006). Natural Law For Lawyers. ACW Press and The Blackstone Legal Fellowship. ISBN 978-1932124798.
* Jones, Emma (June 2016). "Fair Access Versus Religious Freedom: A Difficult Balance". Oxford Journal of Law and Religion. 5 (2): 359–364\. doi:10.1093/ojlr/rww018.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website
* ADF International official website
* "Alliance Defending Freedom". Internal Revenue Service filings. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.

* v
* t
* e

Alliance Defending Freedom

Founders|

* Bill Bright
* Larry Burkett
* James Dobson
* D. James Kennedy
* Marlin Maddoux

Leaders|

| Presidents and CEOs|

* Alan Sears
* Michael Farris
* Kristen Waggoner

|

Others|

* Chapman B. Cox
* Marjorie Dannenfelser
* Charles W. Pickering

See also|

* Blackstone Legal Fellowship
* Day of Dialogue
* Pulpit Freedom Sunday
* God's Not Dead
* List of court cases

* v
* t
* e

Social conservatism in the United States

Issues and ideas|

* Anti-abortion
* Anti-LGBTQ (Gay agenda)
* Anti-pornography movement
* Culture of life
* Culture war
* Consistent life ethic
* Eminent domain
* Euthanasia
* Familialism
* Family values
* Gender roles
* Organized religion
* Parental rights movement
* Prohibition of drugs
* Public morality
* Religious liberty
* School prayer
* Friendly separation of church and state

Advocates|

* Abbott
* Ashcroft
* Bachmann
* Baldwin
* Bannon
* Barton
* Bennett
* Brownback
* Bryant
* Boebert
* Boykin
* Bozell III
* Buchanan
* Cameron
* Carlson
* Carson
* Coburn
* Colson
* Cruz
* DeLay
* DeMint
* DeSantis
* Dice
* Dobson
* Donohue
* D'Souza
* Falwell Sr.
* Falwell Jr.
* Frist
* George
* Gingrich
* Gohmert
* Harris
* Helms
* Hostettler
* Huckabee
* Johnson
* Jones
* Kennedy
* Keyes
* King
* Kirk
* Knowles
* LaHaye
* LaHaye
* Limbaugh
* Lott
* McCarthy
* Moore
* Owens
* Palin
* Parsley
* Pence (Greg)
* Pence (Mike)
* Perkins
* Peroutka
* Perry
* Phillips
* Prager
* Raichik
* Reed
* Robertson
* Robinson
* Ruzicka
* Santorum
* Scarborough
* Schlafly
* Schundler
* Scott
* Shapiro
* Stenzel
* Stuckey
* Tancredo
* Tatum
* Greene
* Thomas
* Trump
* Uihlein
* Walsh

Groups|

* American Principles Project
* Concerned Women for America
* Eagle Forum
* Faith and Freedom Coalition
* Family Research Council
* Focus on the Family
* Foundation for Moral Law
* Heritage Foundation
* Moms for Liberty
* Moral Majority
* National Center on Sexual Exploitation
* National Organization for Marriage
* National Right to Life Committee
* Parents Television and Media Council
* Traditional Values Coalition

Political parties|

* American Solidarity Party
* Constitution Party
* Prohibition Party
* Republican Party

Related|

* Christian democracy
* Christian nationalism
* Christian right
* Culture war
* Factions in the Republican Party
* LGBT conservatism in the United States
* Manhattan Declaration
* Paleoconservatism
* Reactionary
* Social justice
* Straight pride

* Conservatism portal

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template