The founder of the Moms for Liberty Madison chapter is speaking out against a left-wing activist organization for placing the parental rights organization on its "hate map" alongside the Ku Klux Klan and Neo-Nazis.
Last week, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) released its annual report titled "The Year in Hate and Extremism Comes to Main Street" for 2022.
Moms for Liberty, a grassroots coalition of conservative women based in Florida that advocates for protecting children from sexualized material, Critical Race Theory (CRT) and ideological indoctrination in public schools, was listed as an "antigovernment" extremist group.
The SPLC's report also included several other organizations focused on parental rights, over 700 alleged antigovernment extremist groups and 523 supposed "hate groups."
Moms for Liberty came to Madison in 2022. North Alabama resident Emily Jones helped get the chapter started. Though the chapter is centered in Madison, its outreach extends throughout North Alabama.
Jones said she's heard the SPLC's name for years but never really paid attention. She learned about the SPLC's attack on the organization from Moms for Liberty founders early last week.
"If a mom protecting her child is considered threatening, we really need to look at what threatening means because there are children," Jones said. "We need to make decisions for them. We don't co-parent with the government, and we never will."
The SPLC has faced criticism and accusations of hypocrisy, fostering a toxic work environment and using its influence to promote progressive ideological goals. It has faced several defamation lawsuits over the past three decades. Much of the criticism has revolved around its "hate map," which purports to list "hate and antigovernment groups" in the United States.
The SPLC has also faced backlash for its relationship with the FBI, who previously admitted to having "forged partnerships" with the SPLC and other left-wing organizations "to establish rapport, share information, address concerns and cooperate in solving problems." Earlier this year, the SPLC recommended that the FBI spy on and infiltrate traditionalist Catholic organizations.
SPLC Intelligence Project director Susan Corke, the author of the recent study, even visited the White House on Jan. 6, 2023, to meet with National Security Council counterterrorism director John Picarelli.
Jones said she's actually seen more people reach out to Moms for Liberty after they saw stories about the SPLC's attacks on the parental rights movement.
"For people that don't know who we are, that that's kind of their first exposure, I would say go to our website," Jones said. "Look us up. Get truth and then make a decision. We're nothing of what they've described. We're concerned parents fighting for our children to protect our children to improve our educational system and we support parental rights, whatever that may be."
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