Editing Alliance Defending Freedom (section)

=== Opposing LGBTQ rights===
In 2003, ADF unsuccessfully called for the [[criminalization of homosexuality|recriminalization of homosexual acts]] in the U.S. ([[Sodomy laws in the United States#Up to Lawrence v. Texas|prior to 1962, sodomy had been a felony in every U.S. state]]), filing a Supreme Court brief supporting Texas' [[sodomy law]] in the landmark ''[[Lawrence v. Texas]]'' case which declared sodomy laws unconstitutional; it linked [[homosexuality]] to [[pedophilia]].<ref name="splc-profile" /><!--Please do not remove "SPLC designated it an anti-LGBTQ hate group" from the lead without first getting consensus to do so on the Talk page. Please see the Archives for previous discussions.--> ADF also opposes [[same-sex marriage]] and [[civil union]]s, as well as [[LGBT adoption|adoption by same-sex couples]], based on its leaders' "belief that God created men, women, and families such that children thrive best in homes with a married mother and father."<ref name="churches-face">{{cite web | url=https://www.adfchurchalliance.org/standforfreedom | title=Churches Face Mounting Religious Liberty Threats | publisher=Alliance Defending Freedom Church Alliance | access-date=March 19, 2022 | archive-date=April 3, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220403140714/https://www.adfchurchalliance.org/standforfreedom | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://adflegal.org/press-release/christian-adoption-agencies-us-supreme-court-let-us-help-children-find-loving-homes | title=Christian adoption agencies to US Supreme Court: Let us help children find loving homes | publisher=Alliance Defending Freedom | date=June 3, 2020 | access-date=March 19, 2022 | archive-date=January 31, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220131055225/https://adflegal.org/press-release/christian-adoption-agencies-us-supreme-court-let-us-help-children-find-loving-homes | url-status=live }}</ref> ADF provided legal support to the defendants in two Supreme Court cases dealing with the intersection of freedom of religion against Colorado's anti-discrimination laws for public-serving businesses, ''[[Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission]]'' (2018) and ''[[303 Creative LLC v. Elenis]]'' (2022); in both cases, the underlying issue was whether Christian business owners, under the anti-discrimination law, were compelled to create works with LGBT messaging that they said went against their Christian faith. In 2021, the Supreme Court declined to consider an appeal from ADF attorneys on behalf of a [[Arlene's Flowers lawsuit|florist who refused to serve her clients' same-sex wedding]], with three of the nine justices indicating they were willing to hear the case.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hurley |first=Lawrence |date=July 2, 2021 |title=U.S. Supreme Court rebuffs appeal by florist who spurned gay couple |language=en |publisher=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-supreme-court-rebuffs-appeal-by-florist-who-spurned-gay-couple-2021-07-02/ |access-date=January 28, 2022 |archive-date=January 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220128053623/https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-supreme-court-rebuffs-appeal-by-florist-who-spurned-gay-couple-2021-07-02/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

The organization has worked internationally to prevent decriminalization of homosexuality in Jamaica and Belize.<ref name="Compton">{{Cite news |last=Compton |first=Julie |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/activists-takes-aim-anti-lgbtq-hate-group-alliance-defending-freedom-n936391 |title=Activists take aim at anti-LGBTQ 'hate group,' Alliance Defending Freedom |date=November 14, 2018 |publisher=NBC News |access-date=July 26, 2019 |language=en |archive-date=July 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190727200118/https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/activists-takes-aim-anti-lgbtq-hate-group-alliance-defending-freedom-n936391 |url-status=live }}</ref> The SPLC has reported on ADF support for a [[Sodomy Law|law criminalizing same-sex sexual acts]] in [[LGBT rights in Belize|Belize]] (ruled unconstitutional in 2016).<ref name="belize-splc">Staff (July 2013) [https://www.splcenter.org/sites/default/files/d6_legacy_files/downloads/publication/splc-report-dangerous-liaisons.pdf "Dangerous Liaisons: The American Religious Right & the Criminalization of Homosexuality in Belize"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027100012/https://www.splcenter.org/sites/default/files/d6_legacy_files/downloads/publication/splc-report-dangerous-liaisons.pdf |date=October 27, 2021 }} [[Southern Poverty Law Center]]</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/belize-supreme-court-overturns-anti-gay-law-n627511 | title=Belize Supreme Court Overturns Anti-Gay Law | date=August 10, 2016 | access-date=March 20, 2022 | archive-date=November 22, 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181122190007/https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/belize-supreme-court-overturns-anti-gay-law-n627511 | url-status=live }}</ref> The ADF denied playing any role in the case.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=26152 | title=Caleb On "Dangerous Liaisons" Report | date=July 26, 2013 | publisher=7 News Belize | access-date=March 19, 2022 | archive-date=May 13, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220513021054/http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=26152 | url-status=live }}</ref> In the United Kingdom, ADF International advocated in favor of a mother's custody of her child, against the custody of the child's father and his same-sex partner.<ref name="christian army" /> ADF also has links to the former prime minister of Australia, [[Tony Abbott]], an outspoken opponent of the legalization of same-sex marriage in Australia. Abbott gave a speech to ADF regarding marriage in 2016.<ref name="abc.net.au">{{Cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-01-26/tony-abbott-speak-at-us-conservative-christian-lobby/7114506 |title=Tony Abbott to address US conservative Christian lobby group on marriage views |last1=Doran |first1=Matthew |last2=Roscoe Whalan |date=January 25, 2016 |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |access-date=February 14, 2018 |archive-date=August 16, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160816174926/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-01-26/tony-abbott-speak-at-us-conservative-christian-lobby/7114506 |url-status=live }}</ref>

ADF opposes [[transgender rights movement|transgender rights]] based on the idea that "God creates each person with an immutable biological sex—male or female..."<ref name="statement of faith">{{cite web |date=January 15, 2020 |title=Statement of Faith |url=https://adflegal.org/about-us/careers/statement-of-faith |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220320003248/https://adflegal.org/about-us/careers/statement-of-faith |archive-date=March 20, 2022 |access-date=March 19, 2022 |publisher=Alliance Defending Freedom}}</ref> The organization has litigated against transgender employment protections, access to bathrooms, and participation in sports for transgender people. Members of ADF also authored model legislation for [[bathroom bills]] in the United States, aimed at restricting transgender people's use of single-sex public bathrooms.<ref name="transrights" /> In 2020, the ADF lost a Supreme Court case in which ADF attorneys defended a funeral home that fired a trans employee in the Supreme Court case, ''[[R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes Inc. v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission]]'', losing in a 6–3 vote.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hurley |first1=Lawrence |title=In landmark ruling, Supreme Court bars discrimination against LGBT workers |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-lgbt-idUSKBN23M20N |access-date=January 28, 2022 |publisher=Reuters |date=June 15, 2020 |archive-date=June 15, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200615215001/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-lgbt/in-landmark-ruling-supreme-court-bars-discrimination-against-lgbt-workers-idUSKBN23M20N |url-status=live }}</ref>

The organization has worked to prevent transgender athletes from [[Transgender people in sports|playing sports]] with the gender they identify with, through lawsuits and by lobbying state legislatures.<ref name="girls-sports">{{cite news | url=https://www.outsports.com/2020/2/12/21135174/adf-connecticut-federal-lawsuit-transgender-girls-sports-high-school | title=ADF sues Connecticut for letting trans girls compete in high school sports | last=Ennis | first=Dawn | date=February 12, 2020 | work=Outsports | access-date=March 19, 2022 | archive-date=April 11, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220411085348/https://www.outsports.com/2020/2/12/21135174/adf-connecticut-federal-lawsuit-transgender-girls-sports-high-school | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.thestar.com/news/world/us/2022/02/10/clarification-us-indiana-legislature-schools-story.html | title=Indiana transgender athlete ban draws increasing pushback | date=February 10, 2022 | access-date=March 19, 2022 | archive-date=March 20, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220320003248/https://www.thestar.com/news/world/us/2022/02/10/clarification-us-indiana-legislature-schools-story.html | url-status=live }}</ref> In April 2022, ADF-affiliated lawyers defended a professor at [[Shawnee State University]], Ohio, who refused to use [[misgendering|preferred pronouns]] when referring to a [[transgender rights|transgender]] student; the university agreed to a $400,000 settlement with the professor.<ref name="anti-trans-prof">{{cite web | url=https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/professor-wouldnt-use-trans-students-pronouns-wins-400k-settlement-rcna24989 | title=Professor who wouldn't use trans student's pronouns wins $400K settlement | date=April 19, 2022 | last=Lavietes | first=Matt | publisher=NBC News | access-date=April 29, 2022 | archive-date=April 29, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220429165519/https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/professor-wouldnt-use-trans-students-pronouns-wins-400k-settlement-rcna24989 | url-status=live }}</ref>

In Europe, ADF International has supported mandatory genital surgery (and consequent [[Sterilization (medicine)#Promoted sterilization|sterilization]]) of transgender people before they are allowed to change the gender marker on government [[identification documents|IDs]].<ref name="eu-sterilize">{{Cite web |url=https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2017/07/27/anti-lgbt-hate-group-alliance-defending-freedom-defended-state-enforced-sterilization |title=Anti-LGBT Hate Group Alliance Defending Freedom Defended State-Enforced Sterilization for Transgender Europeans |last=Amend |first=Alex |date=July 27, 2017 |publisher=Southern Poverty Law Center |access-date=November 26, 2017 |archive-date=December 16, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171216025038/https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2017/07/27/anti-lgbt-hate-group-alliance-defending-freedom-defended-state-enforced-sterilization |url-status=live }}</ref> However, a decision by the European Court of Human Rights, ''A.P., Garçon and Nicot v. France'', has led France, Greece, Portugal, and several other countries to allow non-medical pathways to gender marker change.<ref name="tlmr">{{cite report | author1=Zhan Chiam |author2=Sandra Duffy |author3=Matilda González Gil |author4=Lara Goodwin |author5=Nigel Timothy Mpemba Patel | title=Trans Legal Mapping Report 2019: Recognition before the law | institution=ILGA World | date=2020 | url=https://ilga.org/downloads/ILGA_World_Trans_Legal_Mapping_Report_2019_EN.pdf | access-date=December 4, 2022 | archive-date=January 27, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230127231222/https://ilga.org/downloads/ILGA_World_Trans_Legal_Mapping_Report_2019_EN.pdf | url-status=live }}</ref>

In June 2022, several groups opposing trans rights, including Alliance Defending Freedom, [[Women's Declaration International|WDI USA]], [[Family Research Council]] and [[Women's Liberation Front]], organized a rally in Washington D.C. supporting single-sex athletic competition.<ref>{{cite web |title=Our Bodies, Our Sports |url=https://ourbodiesoursports.com/ |access-date=6 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220621104605/https://ourbodiesoursports.com/ |archive-date=21 June 2022}}</ref>

In June 2023, the [[Supreme Court of the United States]] ruled in favor of the plaintiff, represented by ADF, for the ''[[303 Creative LLC v. Elenis]]'' case.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/web-designer-wants-legal-fees-supreme-court-win-free-speech-lgbt-rights-case-2024-07-25/ |title= Web designer wants legal fees for Supreme Court win in free speech, LGBT rights case |publisher=[[Reuters]] |date=26 July 2024|access-date=5 April 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-06-30 |title=What the Supreme Court's gay wedding website ruling means for LGBTQ rights |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/supreme-courts-gay-wedding-website-ruling-means-lgbtq-rights-rcna92022 |access-date=2023-07-06 |publisher=NBC News |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Kruzel |first=John |date=2023-07-03 |title=LGBT rights yield to religious interests at US Supreme Court |language=en |publisher=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/legal/lgbt-rights-yield-religious-interests-us-supreme-court-2023-07-01/ |access-date=2023-07-06}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-06-30 |title=The Supreme Court rules for a designer who doesn't want to make wedding websites for gay couples |url=https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-gay-rights-website-designer-aa529361bc939c837ec2ece216b296d5 |access-date=2023-07-06 |publisher=Associated Press |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-07-03 |title=Legitimacy of 'customer' in Supreme Court gay rights case raises ethical and legal flags |url=https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-gay-rights-lgbtq-website-9c058addfdd581ce0ead81eb59660130 |access-date=2023-07-06 |publisher=Associated Press |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sosin |first=Kate |date=2020-10-15 |title=Amy Coney Barrett Has Ties To an Anti-LGBTQ Hate Group |url=https://msmagazine.com/2020/10/15/amy-coney-barrett-alliance-defending-freedom-adf-lgbtq-hate-group/ |access-date=2023-07-06 |website=Ms. Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref> The ruling sparked widespread criticism regarding whether the plaintiff lacked standing.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Cole |first=David |date=January 29, 2024 |title="We Do No Such Thing": 303 Creative v. Elenis and the Future of First Amendment Challenges to Public Accommodations Laws |url=https://www.yalelawjournal.org/forum/we-do-no-such-thing-303-creative-v-elenis-and-the-future-of-first-amendment-challenges-to-public-accommodations-laws |journal=The Yale Law Journal |volume=133 |via=Yale Law School}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=M. Re |first=Richard |date=November 29, 2023 |title=Does the Discourse on 303 Creative Portend a Standing Realignment? |url=https://www.law.virginia.edu/node/2171631 |journal=Notre Dame Law Review Reflection |volume=99 |issue=67 |via=Notre Dame Law School}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Morrison |first=Alan B. |date=September 15, 2023 |title=Standing When You Want It |url=https://www.acslaw.org/expertforum/standing-when-you-want-it/ |access-date=May 22, 2024 |publisher=American Constitution Society}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Baude |first1=William |last2=Bray |first2=Samuel |date=November 13, 2023 |title=Proper Parties, Proper Relief |url=https://harvardlawreview.org/print/vol-137/proper-parties-proper-relief/ |journal=Harvard Law Review |volume=137 |issue=1 |via=Harvard Law School}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://townhall.com/tipsheet/leahbarkoukis/2023/07/07/adf-sets-the-record-straight-on-303-creative-case-n2625413|title=ADF Sets the Record Straight After the Left Attempts to Discredit 303 Creative Case|website=Townhall|date=July 7, 2023|author=Leah Barkoukis|access-date=September 1, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Swaine |first1=Jon |last2=Reinhard |first2=Beth |date=2023-09-27 |title=Inside the tactics that won Christian vendors the right to reject gay weddings |language=en-US |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2023/09/24/alliance-defending-freedom-wedding-lawsuit/ |access-date=2023-09-28 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> These criticisms prompted several articles myth-busting the attackers on the plaintiff's standing.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nationalreview.com/bench-memos/foolish-arguments-against-standing-in-303-creative-part-1/|title=Foolish Arguments Against Standing in 303 Creative—Part 1|website=[[National Review]] |date=July 3, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nationalreview.com/bench-memos/foolish-arguments-against-standing-in-303-creative-part-2/|title=Foolish Arguments Against Standing in 303 Creative—Part 2|website=[[National Review]] |date=July 3, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nationalreview.com/bench-memos/foolish-arguments-against-standing-in-303-creative-part-3/|title=Foolish Arguments Against Standing in 303 Creative—Part 3|website=[[National Review]] |date=July 5, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nationalreview.com/bench-memos/more-on-standing-in-303-creative/|title=More on Standing in 303 Creative|website=[[National Review]] |date=July 10, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nationalreview.com/news/correcting-the-record-on-the-fake-same-sex-couple-in-the-303-creative-case/|title=Correcting the Record on the 'Fake' Same-Sex Couple in the 303 Creative Case|website=[[National Review]] |date=June 30, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thefire.org/news/myth-busting-reactions-supreme-courts-decision-303-creative-v-elenis|title=Myth-busting reactions to the Supreme Court's decision in 303 Creative v. Elenis &#124; The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression|first=Darpana|last=Sheth|date=July 7, 2023|website=thefire.org}}</ref>