Right-Wingers Weren't the Only Voices at the 2011 Values Voters Summit

American Atheists table outside the
2011 Values Voters Summit

Many of the right-wing messages at the 2011 Values Voters Summit caused observers some consternation. I'd like to highlight the other groups in Washington last weekend who presented an alternative message to that of the Values Voters Summit.

First, American Atheists set up an information table outside the Omni Shoreham Hotel. The people manning the table were having polite conversations with summit attendees when I swung by, and their table was stocked with atheist magazines and pamphlets. At a conference brimming with right-wing Christian rhetoric, the presence of atheists, however low-key, was refreshing.

Second, the Southern Poverty Law Center and Truth Wins Out scheduled a press conference on October 7th to draw attention to two of the summit's sponsors, the American Family Association (AFA) and the Family Research Council (FRC). The SPLC has categorized both organizations as hate groups due to their discredited anti-gay propaganda. The press conference also heralded the release of a new SPLC report, The Anti-Gay Lobby: The Family Research Council, the American Family Association, & the Demonization of LGBT People.

It comforts me to know that the troubling messages of Values Voters Summit participants have not gone unnoticed. Kudos to the SPLC, Truth Wins Out, and American Atheists for their efforts.


For additional commentary, visit the following links.

Think Progress: Southern Poverty Law Center Reminds GOP of the Hate Groups Behind Values Voters Summit

Joe.My.God: Fischer vs. SPLC