Public Advocate of the United States

Public Advocate of the United States is an organization founded in either 1978 or 1981 (disputed)[4][5] by Eugene Delgaudio. It advocates religious conservative policies in American politics.[1] The Southern Poverty Law Center has designated the organization as a hate group for its anti-gay activism.[6]

Public Advocate of the United States
Public Advocate of the United States Logo
Founded1978
FounderEugene Delgaudio
TypeNonprofit 501(c)(4)[1]
52-1112449 (EIN)
FocusPublic education
Location
Area served
United States
Members
4
Revenue
$1,561,374 (2016)[3]
Employees
3
Websitepublicadvocateusa.org

Platform

The organization's platform includes:[1]

  • A federal traditional marriage (man-woman) amendment to the Constitution to defend tradional marriage from assaults from those who claim to promote "same sex marriage";
  • School prayer and the freedom of religious expression in public places;
  • Faith-based and community initiatives;
  • Pro-life legislation;
  • The promotion and protection of the Boy Scouts, organized sports and other activities that reinforce morality, accountability and leadership in our youth;
  • Tax cuts, reduction in spending by the federal government and the exposure of wasteful "pork barrel" spending for the benefit of liberal special interests or for social engineering for worse;
  • Equality under the law, without regard to color, race, creed, sex or religious beliefs.

Principals

In 2005, Delgadio said that he was the only full-time employee of the organization.[9] On its 2010 tax form, Public Advocate reported $1.07 million in total revenue, and that it paid $158,682 to Eugene Delgaudio & Associates, as an independent contractor.[10]

Anti-gay activism

In early 2012, the organization was designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), on the basis of its anti-gay activism.[6]

In September 2012, the SPLC sued Public Advocate in Denver, Colorado, federal court over a mailer sent to some Colorado primary voters in 2010. The SPLC's client was a gay couple who were married in a civil ceremony in Connecticut. The mailer included a modified version of the couple's engagement photo, taken of them kissing with the Brooklyn Bridge as a backdrop. The photo had been copied without permission from the couple's blog and edited to appear as if they were kissing with snow-covered pine trees surrounding them, with bold words on a red background saying "State Senator Jean White's idea of "Family Values?"."[11] In April 2014, a judge ruled that Public Advocate had not legally misappropriated the image, but that there was a plausible copyright infringement; in June 2014, the parties settled, with the photographer paid $2,501.

In March 2014, Public Advocate's attorney submitted a subpoena request seeking detailed information from the SPLC about the criteria, research, and decision process that was used to issue the "hate group" designation.[12]

In August 2016, a reporter for the Washington Free Beacon wrote that "A typical press release from Public Advocate calmly asserts that 'homosexuals' who 'run rampant over the country' are working to create 'a nation where police are forced by gay "rights" laws to allow sexual predators like "Uncle Ed" Savitz and Jeffrey Dahmer to rape and murder young boys in the streets.'"[13]

See also
  • List of organizations designated by the Southern Poverty Law Center as anti-gay hate groups

References
  1. "About Us". Public Advocate of the United States. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  2. "Public Advocate Of The United States". Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  3. "2016 Federal Tax Return for Public Advocate of the United States" (PDF). GuideStar. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  4. "Public Advocate of the United States - GuideStar Profile". www.guidestar.org. Retrieved 2018-10-23.
  5. "About Us | Public Advocate of the U.S." publicadvocateusa.org. Retrieved 2018-10-23.
  6. Gibson, Caitlin (March 26, 2012). "Loudoun Supervisor Eugene Delgaudio's advocacy organization designated a 'hate group'". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 24, 2012.
  7. Cass, Michael (August 3, 2012). "Tennessee Democratic Party disavows Senate nominee". The Tennessean. Archived from the original on August 5, 2012. Retrieved August 5, 2012.
  8. "Tennessee Judge Order: Public Advocate V P Mark Clayton Protects Minorities In Memphis Against Liberals' Bigotry | Public Advocate of the U.S." www.publicadvocateusa.org. Retrieved 2018-10-23.
  9. "Raising Funds by Attacking 'Radical Homosexuals'". www.connectionnewspapers.com. April 19, 2005. Retrieved 2020-07-26.
  10. "Is Eugene Delgaudio Running a Scam in Your State?". Shadowproof. 2012-11-03. Retrieved 2020-07-26.
  11. Susman, Tina (September 26, 2012). "Gay couple shocked to find their faces on anti-gay mailer". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 26, 2012.
  12. Gibson, Caitlin (2014-03-04). "Loudoun's Delgaudio fights back against 'hate group' designation". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2020-07-26.
  13. Walther, Matthew (August 29, 2016). "On the Trail With Mike Pence". Washington Free Beacon. Retrieved 2020-07-26.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.