SPLC declares AFA, FRC and others are "hate groups"

The American Family Association, the Family Research Council, and other such conservative groups claim to have a principled objection to the reality of homosexuality. But their rhetoric is based in lies, propaganda and hatred--so much so that the Southern Poverty Law Center has declared these groups as "Hate Groups".

For example, regarding the AFA, the SPLC reports,

In 2009, it hired Bryan Fischer, the former executive director of the Idaho Values Alliance, as its director of analysis for government and policy.... Fischer claimed in a blog post last May 27 that “[h]omosexuality gave us Adolph Hitler, and homosexuals in the military gave us the Brown Shirts, the Nazi war machine and 6 million dead Jews.” .... Fischer has described Hitler as “an active homosexual” who sought out gays “because he could not get straight soldiers to be savage and brutal and vicious enough.” He proposed criminalizing homosexual behavior in another 2010 blog post and has advocated forcing gays into “reparative” therapy.

Then there's the Faithful Word Baptist Church and its pastor Steven Anderson

Much of his venom was aimed at homosexuals, who he suggests should be killed (“The biggest hypocrite in the world is the person who believes in the death penalty for murderers but not for homosexuals”). In an August 2009 sermon, he attacked the United Methodist Church, saying “10% of their preachers are queers” and adding, “they got a dyke and a faggot behind the pulpit.” He has described gays as “sodomites” who “recruit through rape” and “recruit through molestation.”

And of course, the lying Family Research Council:

[T]he FRC has been a font of anti-gay propaganda throughout its history. It relies on the work of Robert Knight, who also worked at Concerned Women for America but now is at Coral Ridge Ministries (see above for both), along with that of FRC senior research fellows Tim Dailey (hired in 1999) and Peter Sprigg (2001). Both Dailey and Sprigg have pushed false accusations linking gay men to pedophilia ...

More recently, in March 2008, Sprigg, responding to a question about uniting gay partners during the immigration process, said: “I would much prefer to export homosexuals from the United States than to import them.” He later apologized, but then went on, last February, to tell MSNBC host Chris Matthews, “I think there would be a place for criminal sanctions on homosexual behavior.” “So we should outlaw gay behavior?” Matthews asked. “Yes,” Sprigg replied. ...

Tony PErkins of the FRC also has links to white supremicists.

The AFA can complain as much as it likes about this designation, but John Aravosis (Americablog) has collected examples of their bile over the years.

The SPLC also debunks 10 of the most prominent anti-gay myths these groups tell--a useful resource.

Update: naturally, the AFA and others aren't happy with this. But their attempt to recycle their lies and propaganda is soundly slapped down by the SPLC here.