A highly influential, “nonpartisan” group of lawmakers and corporate lobbyists focused on advancing free market principles also furthers efforts to push companies to eschew diversity and maintain ties with anti-LGBTQ hate groups, an investigation by the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) and the Southern Poverty Law Center’s (SPLC) Hatewatch found.
Lisa Nelson, the CEO of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) – a powerful group of corporate lobbyists and mostly Republican state lawmakers who write model legislation – stated in a May panel that her organization works with allied groups to oppose “woke” corporations that act to diversify their leadership or take a public stance on social and democracy issues, according to video obtained by CMD.
“We’re particularly sensitive about this corporate woke culture,” said Nelson, using a slang term associated with social justice activism. “We have a new coalition … that is really, really active. … We are certainly a part of that.”
ALEC, which gives corporations access to state lawmakers in exchange for annual dues and sponsorships, has proven to be a powerful force for implementing a right-wing and pro-corporate agenda throughout the country. In every state in the nation and at the federal level, lawmakers have introduced bills based upon ALEC models, as USA Todayreported in 2019. During a period from 2010 to 2018, 600 of 2900 ALEC-inspired bills became law, the same reporting found.
ADF’s and FRC’s views about the LGBTQ community veer to the extreme far right. ADF has supported the recriminalization of sexual acts between consenting LGBTQ adults in the U.S., and criminalization abroad. It defended state-sanctioned sterilization of trans people in other countries and contended that LGBTQ people are more likely to engage in pedophilia. In 2017, ADF defended a law abroad requiring mandatory, state-enforced sterilization of transgender Europeans as a requirement for citizens seeking administrative recognition of their preferred genders.