Traditional Values Coalition

The Traditional Values Coalition (TVC) was yet another Christian conservative group in the United States classified by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a hate group. TVC was founded in 1980 by Presbyterian minister Louis Sheldon and was prominent for a while in pushing the far-right's anti-LGBT agenda.Brendan Joel Kelley, The rise and fall of the Traditional Values Coalition. Southern Poverty Law Center, 30 March 2018. The organization was called a "sham ministry" and engaged in all kinds of ethically dubious activity, claiming that they were a coalition of churches while acting as political lobbyists for various far right wing causes.Sticking With Tradition. russbaker.com, 25 November 2003.
According to their "Issues" page they had three overriding goals: defeating the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which they believe will force transgender teachers on schoolchildren,ENDA Hurts Kids. Traditional Values Coalition, archived from 2013. preventing military chaplains from performing same-sex ceremonies,Military Chaplains Under Threat. Traditional Values Coalition, archived from 2012. and becoming the most popular girl in school. They claimed that the US government funds homosexual pornography,SEXPULSE:$5 Million Government Funded Gay Porn. Traditional Values Coalition, archived from 2013. and ranted about Creeping Sharia.Islam vs Constitution. Traditional Values Coalition, archived from 2013.
Disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff used Louis Sheldon and TVC to target conservative congressmen on issues affecting his clients. Investigations into Abramoff's criminal activities revealed a money trail from Abramoff to Sheldon and the TVC.How a Lobbyist Stacked the Deck. The Washington Post, 2005.
The TVC website defined "traditional values" as being:
*Opposition to LGBT rights in general and same-sex marriage in particular
*Right to Life
*Abstinence-only sex education
*Opposition to pornography and "addicting behaviors"
*Discrimination
*The United States as a Christian nation
*Patriotism and extreme nationalismTraditional valued defined. Traditional Values Coalition, archived from 2013.
The TVC website contained a blog run by Andrea Lafferty, daughter of the group's founder, which contained such malarial as claiming that watching movies at AMC means you're supporting communism,When You Watch Movies at AMC Theaters, You're Sponsoring COMMUNISM!. Traditional Values Coalition, archived from 2013. calling for a nationwide boycott of Groupon for offering discounts to porn sites,Groupon Porn Discount? Traditional Values Coalition, archived from 2013. and being disgusted over the presence of a trans woman in the Miss Universe contest.Donald Trump Has Unique Tastes For His Beauty Pageants. Traditional Values Coalition, archived from 2013.
The TVC was one of the main supporters of Creation Ministries International's Question Evolution! campaign:
Andrea Lafferty assumed leadership of TVC in 2011 after several years of acting as the group's figurehead. After filing a lawsuit in 2015 seeking to overturn protections for gay and transgender students, the organization fizzled out and completely disappeared in 2018. Good riddance!
==References==
Category:Creationist organizations
Category:Hate groups
Category:Homophobia
Category:Transphobia
Category:Islamophobia
Category:Purity culture
Category:Right-wing activists