Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) is a well-know religious liberty law firm in Washington, D.C. So why is ABC and NBC referring to it as a "hate group?"
Probably because they are taking talking points from the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). The SPLC is a left-wing organization known for labeling conservative groups they happen to disagree with, like the Family Research Council, as "hate groups."
Last week, ABC reported on Attorney General Jeff Sessions speaking at an ADF event in which they referred to ADF as an "anti-LGBT hate group." This label comes straight from the SPLC website where they call ADF a "hate group" for its "regular defamation of LGBT people." This must be because ADF has defended both Jack Philips, owner of Masterpiece Cake Shop, and Barronelle Stutzman, a Washington state florist, both of whom committed the "hate crime" of declining to cater same-sex weddings.
Both NBC and ABC went after Sessions for giving the speech behind "closed doors" without releasing a transcript. Even CBS late night host Stephen Colbert mocked Jeff Sessions for his "closed door" speech to ADF.
This criticism became moot after the online magazine The Federalist published the full transcript of Sessions' speech two days later.
Now ADF is demanding an apology for printing the defamatory headlines. ADF Communications Director Kerri Kupec appeared on Fox News on July 14 to decry ABC's labeling her firm a "hate group."
"This is not ethical reporting," Kupec told Fox News's Martha MacCallum, "This kind of reporting does not allow for the civil discourse the American people want to engage in on these issues."
On the legitimacy of the SPLC label, Kupec had this to say:
"It doesn't allow for a fair conversation because if ABC is going to team up with a well-known left-wing propaganda machine like Southern Poverty Law Center (an organization known to incite violence who lost their way a long time ago), I would really appreciate the opportunity to tell them a little bit more about our organization and all the kinds of work that we do."
Kupec is absolutely right. Reports that use the "hate" label for organizations simply because they disagree with their political position are fake news.
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