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Southern Poverty Law Center: Extremist Files

The Extremist Files is a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). It lists extremist individuals, organizations, and ideologies related to race, ethnicity, nationalism, and faith, as well as sex and gender.

Among the hate groups listed are many of the most prominent anti-trans hate groups, including Advocates Protecting Children, Alliance Defending Freedom, American College of Pediatricians, American Family Association, Child and Parental Rights Campaign, Do No Harm, Family Policy Alliance, Family Research Council, Focus on the Family, Gays Against Groomers, Genspect, MassResistance, Moms for Liberty, Partners for Ethical Care, PragerU, Ruth Institute, Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine, Westboro Baptist Church, and WorldNetDaily.

Individuals on SPLC’s list who are significantly involved in anti-trans activism include Tucker Carlson, Mike Cernovich, Joseph Francis Farah, Nick Fuentes, Alex Jones, James Lindsay, Stephen Miller, Stefan Molyneux, Tony Perkins, Fred Phelps, Jack Posobiec, Chaya Raichik, Matt Walsh, and Tim Wildmon.

Background

In 1981, SPLC launched the quarterly Intelligence Report publication as well as Klanwatch, later renamed the Intelligence Project. The information gathered was used to file lawsuits: “More than 40 individuals and nine major white supremacist organizations were toppled by SPLC suits in the Project’s first 17 years.” In 1992, the Intelligence Project partnered with the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) on creating accredited courses on hate and bias crimes.

SPLC began an annual census of hate groups in 1990 as part of its annual Year in Hate & Extremism report. SPLC launched the Hatewatch blog in October 2003. In 2007, their Hate Map added a General Hate category that included anti-LGBT groups. In 2010, the Intelligence Files added an Anti-Gay category.

In 2008, SPLC published a list of eight “active U.S. hate groups” in their “anti-gay” category: Abiding Truth Ministries, American Vision, Chalcedon Foundation, Family Research Institute, MassResistance, Traditional Values Coalition, Watchmen on the Walls, and Westboro Baptist Church. In 2010, they added The School of Christian Activism.

In the Winter 2010 Intelligence Report, Evelyn Schlatter reported: “Of the 18 groups profiled below, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) will be listing 13 next year as hate groups (eight were previously listed), reflecting further research into their views; those are each marked with an asterisk.” The five groups mentioned as anti-gay but not listed as hate groups for 2011 were Christian Anti-Defamation Commission, Concerned Women for America, Coral Ridge Ministries, Liberty Counsel, and National Organization for Marriage.

The 2011 list of 13 hate groups was comprised of Abiding Truth Ministries, American Family Association, Americans for Truth About Homosexuality, American Vision, Chalcedon Foundation, Dove World Outreach Center, Faithful Word Baptist Church, Family Research Council, Family Research Institute, Heterosexuals Organized for a Moral Environment, Illinois Family Institute, MassResistance, and Traditional Values Coalition.

2024 anti-LGBTQ+ list

In 2024, SPLC released an updated list of Anti-LGBTQ+ hate groups that included:

  • California Family Council
  • The Campus Ministry USA
  • Center for Christian Virtue
  • Center for Family and Human Rights (C-FAM)
  • Chalcedon Foundation
  • Child and Parental Rights Campaign
  • Church Militant/St. Michael’s Media
  • Concerned Christian Citizens
  • Heterosexuals Organized for a Moral Environment (H.O.M.E.)
  • Illinois Family Institute
  • Liberty Baptist Church
  • Liberty Counsel
  • Louisiana Family Forum
  • MassResistance [SPLC]
  • Massachusetts Family Institute
  • Mission: America
  • Montana Family Foundation
  • Pacific Justice Institute
  • Partners for Ethical Care
  • Pass the Salt Ministries
  • Pennsylvania Family Institute
  • Pilgrims Covenant Church
  • The Pray In Jesus Name Project
  • Probe Ministries
  • Public Advocate of the United States
  • Them Before Us
  • Tom Brown Ministries
  • True Light Pentecost Church
  • United Families International
  • Verity Baptist Church

Complete Extremist Files list

In April 2026, SPLC had the following listings:

Ideologies

Groups and movements

People

Selected writing by SPLC

Cohen, Richard (December 23, 2010). SPLC’s Anti-Gay Hate List Compiled With Diligence and Clear Standards. https://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-report/browse-all-issues/2010/winter/the-hard-liners

Schlatter, Evelyn (Winter 2010). 18 Anti-Gay Groups and Their Propaganda. Intelligence Report Issue 140. https://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-report/browse-all-issues/2010/winter/the-hard-liners [archive]

Resources

Southern Poverty Law Center (splcenter.org)

  • Extremist Files
  • splcenter.org/resources/extremist-files
  • Anti-LGBTQ
  • splcenter.org/resources/extremist-files/anti-lgbtq
  • Hatewatch
  • splcenter.org/resources/hatewatch
  • Intelligence Files: Anti-Gay category
  • splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-files/ideology/anti-gay [archive]
  • Intelligence Files: Active Anti-Gay Groups
  • http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-files/ideology/anti-gay/active_hate_groups [archive]
  • Intelligence Project
  • splcenter.org/intel/intpro.jsp [archive]

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)