Who are the 'Moms for Liberty'?
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Moms for Liberty, a self-described "grassroots organization dedicated to fighting for liberty and parental rights in education," is seen by some as extremist. What is it, and why is it controversial?
The Details: "Moms for Liberty" advocates against school curriculums seen as inappropriate, including some that mention critical race theory and LGBTQ issues. It has roughly 120,000 members and 285 chapters in 44 states, and is one of the nation's largest parental rights advocacy groups. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) designated Moms for Liberty an “anti-government extremist” group in its annual report released last week, accusing it of being "anti-student inclusion."
Key Quotes: Moms for Liberty "targets any inclusive curriculum that contains discussions of race, discrimination and LGBTQ identities,” SPLC said. Moms for Liberty co-founder Tina Descovich said, “Our mission is to educate, unify and empower all parents — all parents — to stand up for what’s best for our kids and the future of America.”
For Context: Two Florida school board members, Descovich and Tiffany Justice, founded the group during the COVID-19 pandemic.
How the Media Covered it: Some center-rated sources noted that the SPLC didn't designate Moms for Liberty a "hate group," which it defines separately from anti-government extremist groups. Some left-rated sources noted Moms for Liberty's growing influence in the Republican Party, and reflected the SPLC's negative framing of it. Some right-rated sources framed the left's criticism of Moms for Liberty as an attack on parental rights.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Left
Moms for Liberty rises as power player in GOP politics after attacking schools over gender, race
To its members, it’s a grassroots army of “joyful warriors” who “don’t co-parent with the government.”
To anti-hate researchers, it’s a well-connected extremist group that attacks inclusion in schools.
And to Republicans vying for the presidency, it has become a potential key partner in the fight for the 2024 nomination.
Moms for Liberty didn’t exist during the last presidential campaign, but the Florida-based nonprofit that champions “ parental rights ” in education has rapidly become a major player for 2024, boosted in part by GOP operatives, politicians and donors.
The group that has...
From the Center
Who are the ‘joyful warriors’ of Moms for Liberty?
This weekend, the co-founder of Moms for Liberty, a rapidly growing nonprofit that promotes parents’ rights, will speak at the 14th annual Western Conservative Summit, which kicks off in Denver, Colorado, today.
The event comes just days after the Southern Poverty Law Center called members of the group extremists in its annual report “The Year in Hate & Extremism.”
In response, co-founder Tiffany Justice said on Facebook Live: “If this is what makes you an extremist — standing up for freedom and liberty and fighting for your children to get a good education...
From the Right
Southern Poverty Law Center's despicable attack on parental rights is a sign of leftist panic
One of the nation’s largest parental rights advocacy groups, Moms for Liberty, is now listed as an “anti-government extremist” group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
SPLC, a social justice organization that was founded out of the civil rights era, ranked these moms alongside far-right extremists like the Oath Keepers.
Moms for Liberty has more than 100,000 members in more than 270 chapters in over 40 states. And they aren’t the only parent group on the SPLC listed as anti-government extremists.
To be clear, the SPLC has designated Moms for Liberty as an...
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