The Eliminate Hate Campaign: News outlets that properly label hate groups should never apologize

In response to attacks on news outlets for properly identifying the Alliance Defending Freedom as an anti-LGBTQ hate group, The Eliminate Hate Campaign released the following statement:

"The Eliminate Hate Campaign stands by all media outlets doing their part to properly identify anti-LGBTQ hate and extremism. Alliance Defending Freedom has been labeled as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center for their efforts to criminalize the LGBTQ community -- media outlets should never apologize for holding hate groups accountable for their actions."

In April 2017, Media Matters For America, in coalition other organizations including the National Center for Transgender Equality, The National LGBTQ Task Force, SoulForce, The Equality Federation, and The Matthew Shepard Foundation, launched The Eliminate Hate Campaign -- a new effort aiming to expose, undermine, and mitigate the increasing influence and harmful impact of anti-LGBTQ hate groups.

Anti-LGBTQ hate groups are classified as such by the Southern Poverty Law Center when they knowingly spread "demonizing lies about the LGBT community, engage in baseless, incendiary name-calling, or actively work to criminalize LGBTQ people." Despite regularly labeling hate groups with other extremist ideologies, media outlets have routinely failed to label anti-LGBTQ hate groups in their news coverage.

Emboldened by a surge in far-right extremism, hate groups--including several with high levels of access to the Trump administration and state legislatures--are positioned to escalate their attacks on LGBTQ equality by toxifying civil discourse, peddling misinformation, and leveraging policy-making power at local, state, and national levels.


The Eliminate Hate Campaign is a broad-based nationwide coalition of organizations, faith leaders, and local community members who are united in our commitment to increase media accountability and public awareness of the growing influence and extremism of anti-LGBTQ hate groups; provide resources to empower grassroots actions to combat hate and extremism; and mitigate the harm caused by discrimination and bigotry.

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