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U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz on Thursday proudly defended the Family Research Council (FRC), a hate group that has spent nearly 40 years spreading dangerous lies about LGBTQ people under the cloak of “religious freedom.”
The Florida Republican also lashed out at the Southern Poverty Law Center, an institution dedicated to tracking and exposing the more than 800 current hate and extremist groups across the U.S.
According to the SPLC, the FRC “often makes false claims about the LGBTQ community based on discredited research and junk science. The intention is to denigrate LGBTQ people as the organization battles against same-sex marriage, hate crime laws, anti-bullying programs and the repeal of the military’s ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy. To make the case that the LGBTQ community is a threat to American society, the FRC employs a number of ‘policy experts’ whose ‘research’ has allowed the FRC to be extremely active politically in shaping public debate. Its research fellows and leaders often testify before Congress and appear in the mainstream media. It also works at the grassroots level, conducting outreach to pastors in an effort to ‘transform the culture.’ ”
Gaetz launched his attack by tweeting out an article from the far-right conspiracy theory website, The Gateway Pundit.
“The Southern Poverty Law Center is a hate group,” Gaetz falsely tweeted, before defending the FRC.
The Southern Poverty Law Center is a hate group.
The @splcenter’s designation of @FRCdc as a “hate group” caused a deranged leftist to try and shoot up the Family Research Council’s headquarters.
(via @CassandraRules)https://t.co/2051QjDXnd
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) March 25, 2021
The article’s author, Cassandra Fairbanks, according to domestic extremism expert Jared Holt, is a “self-professed fascist sympathizer.”
Sharing articles from a self-professed fascist sympathizer to own the SPLC https://t.co/a3kXCUcQ9o pic.twitter.com/gIpDZWqBHo
— Jared Holt (@jaredlholt) March 25, 2021
Journalist Christopher Mathias offered up a similar take:
Hardly a week goes by without a GOP congressman promoting/citing the propaganda of fascists.
This time, it’s Gaetz promoting Cassandra Fairbanks, a far-right white nationalist/groyper sympathizer. https://t.co/JGnS1wGLZ5 pic.twitter.com/K8X6FVf4Li
— Christopher Mathias (@letsgomathias) March 25, 2021
Gaetz also suggested “MAGA” is not a dangerous extremist group:
How long until MAGA hats are considered an “extremist symbol?”
How long until Christian or pro-life groups are “too extreme” for the ruling woketopians?
Dems love using the term “extremism” to describe Republicans, conservatives, and the group they hate most…Trump supporters.
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) March 25, 2021
Journalist Daniel Moritz-Rabson shared a graphic of Fairbanks appearing on VDARE with its founder. VDARE is a white nationalist hate group, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.
oops pic.twitter.com/R17NOTDOug
— Daniel Moritz-Rabson (@DMoritzRabson) March 25, 2021
Journalist Sam Youngman also noted that Gaetz invited Holocaust denier Chuck/Charles Johnson to attend the State of the Union Address with him and appears to continue to support Trump’s attempt to overturn the election:
This person took a Holocaust denier to the State of the Union and voted against honoring the police who fought off the Jan. 6 terrorists. https://t.co/tlr3duMUBE
— Sam Youngman (@samyoungman) March 25, 2021
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