DES MOINES – A liberal Iowa political group said this week that Governor Branstad and Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds will host the Family Leadership Summit on Saturday, alongside the Family Research Council (FRC), an organization recognized by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) as an anti-LGBT hate group.
The Family Leadership Summit is planned by the Family Leader, an extreme conservative organization, and their President, Bob Vander Plaats. According to Progress Iowa, in past years the summit has been a forum for hateful rhetoric by politicians and talk radio hosts. The Family Leader is also affiliated with the FRC as their Family Policy Council for the state of Iowa.
“Governor Branstad should be ashamed to be hosting this event alongside an anti-LGBT hate group,” said Matt Sinovic, executive director of Progress Iowa. “The FRC and their hateful positions do not represent Iowa’s values, and we deserve better from our elected leaders. Governor Branstad and Lt. Governor Reynolds should request that their names be removed immediately, and refuse to speak at the conference on Saturday.”
According to the SPLC, the Family Research Council’s “specialty is defaming gays and lesbians” and they do so by making “false claims about the LGBT community based on discredited research and junk science” with the goal of denigrating “LGBT people in its battles against same-sex marriage, hate crimes laws, anti-bullying programs and the repeal of the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy.”
Progress Iowa has provided live updates and acted as a watchdog during every past Family Leadership Summit, and will do so again on Saturday. Governor Branstad and Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds are scheduled to speak at the Summit on Saturday in Ames, as are FRC President Tony Perkins, Family Leader President Bob Vander Plaats, Joni Ernst, Steve King, and other national politicians.
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16 thoughts on “Liberal group says Branstad will host Summit with “hate group””
The Southern Poverty Law Center is a hate group so they would know what they are talking about.
@Maybe-That is true, but it is well known that VanderPlaats is a religious nut job.
@maybe, you are really out there, aren’t you? SPLC is a hate group? Where did this gemstone of info come from?
Just listen to them talk about Israel. You hear nothing but hatred from them.
OK, where do I listen to them? I went to their website-no listing of anything about Israel. I googled them and their opposition to Israel, nothing came up that was even close. I am at a loss. I will not take your word for it as you are an extremist. Give me some proof please.
I’ve seen videos either online or cnn or headline news talking about wanting hamas to wipeout the jews. If I can find them by accident you should be able to find them on purpose.
@Maybe-I have seen it on CNN, CBS and of course on Fox. It is a well known fact that they want to kill all Israelis. They are not willing to settle for anything less. You have to be blind, deaf, stupid or possibly all three not to have seen it or heard it. They have been saying it for years.
LVS I am none of the 3. Are you sure you are talking about the same thing as maybe? He is talking about the Southern Poverty Law Center not Hamas. Check it out yourself. See if you can verify what maybe is saying. I sure can’t.
“The Southern Poverty Law Center is a hate group” – maybe
“That is true”- LVS
“Just listen to them talk about Israel. You hear nothing but hatred”- maybe
“I’ve seen videos..talking about wanting hamas to wipeout the jews.”- maybe
Looks like someone’s brain is a raging electrical storm of bizarre visions and paranoid delusions.
You do realize that the current President of the SPLC is one Ricahrd Cohen, a Jewish man.
doesn’t matter, I’ve seen it and heard it, if he is jewish then he needs to clean house.
Interesting comment there, maybe.
You seem to “see” and “hear” a lot of things that no one else does.
Gives one pause to wonder why that is?
It’s easy, I pay attention to whats going on, I don’t just sit there with my head up my ass.
Now, that being said I am enough of a realist to know Branstad is probably going after the support this group can give him. I think he is making a mistake as people will believe he thinks the same way. I have seen Hatch doing the exact same things with far left groups.
Vander Plaats is way to far to the right to suit me. I do not like any form of government that tries to tell people how to live their private lives. He is part of the religious, pious far right that should not be allowed in politics. I feel the exact same way about the far left.
You are right on target today LVS! Im on your team.
And this surprises us becaaaaaaaaaaause??