Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) is an American conservative Christian legal advocacy group founded in 1994 by a group of Christian leaders, including Dr. James Dobson, Bill Bright, and Larry Burkett. ADF’s mission is to defend religious freedom, traditional values, and the sanctity of life through legal advocacy and strategic litigation.
It was established initially as the Alliance Defense Fund. The group’s goal is to defend religious liberty for all people, claiming this freedom is “under assault” from a secular progressive movement.
The organization is based in Scottsdale, Arizona, and has offices in multiple states and countries. Alliance Defending Freedom has a team of more than 100 attorneys and other legal professionals who provide pro bono legal assistance to individuals and organizations who are facing legal challenges related to religious freedom and other conservative causes.
Alliance Defending Freedom has been involved in a number of high-profile legal cases, including defending the rights of bakers, florists, and photographers who were sued for declining to provide services for same-sex weddings on religious grounds. Alliance Defending Freedom has also defended the rights of students and teachers who were disciplined or fired for expressing their religious beliefs in public schools, as well as the rights of crisis pregnancy centers to operate without being forced to provide information about abortion services.
Critics of ADF have accused the organization of promoting discrimination and intolerance towards the LGBTQ+ community and other marginalized groups. In particular, Alliance Defending Freedom has been criticized for its support of the so-called “bathroom bills” that would require individuals to use restrooms that correspond to their biological sex rather than their gender identity.
ADF has also been designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a non-profit organization that monitors hate groups and other extremist organizations. The SPLC has accused ADF of spreading anti-LGBTQ+ propaganda and promoting discriminatory policies.
Despite these criticisms, ADF has continued to defend conservative causes and religious freedom through its legal advocacy work. The organization has also expanded its global reach, partnering with other organizations in Europe, Africa, and Latin America to defend religious freedom and traditional values. Follow this page on Twitter, to learn more.
More about ADF on https://adflegal.org/