Accountable for Equality is a left-leaning nonprofit that promotes LGBT interests, such as state recognition of same-sex marriages; access to abortion, contraception, and artificial reproductive technology; and access to medical gender transition. The group shares information on LGBT non-supporters, disclosing “who they are, where they are, and what they do.” AFE criticizes the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) and collaborates with other left-of-center groups to push media narratives around LGBT issues.

Background

Accountable for Equality (AFE) is an organization founded in 2019 that advocates for LGBT interests by disseminating information about individuals and organizations who do not support left-of-center LGBT-related policies, revealing “who they are, where they are, and what they do.” ¹

Accountable for Equality Action (AFE Action) is AFE’s allied political advocacy group. The group’s Twitter ² page mirrors information shared on AFE’s website. Both organizations strongly criticized Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni for enacting anti-LGBT bills into law in May 2023. ³

Political Advocacy

Accountable for Equality criticizes the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), a law aimed at safeguarding individuals’ religious practice rights. The organization claims the “Religious Right” uses the law to influence anti-LGBT policies. ⁴

AFE’s website also features a campaign called “Rotten Court,” which compiles various reports criticizing Associate Justice Clarence Thomas ⁵ for urging the Supreme Court to reconsider opinions protecting same-sex relationships, recognition of same-sex marriages, and access to contraceptives, while allegedly not disclosing gifts received from a right-of-center donor. ⁶

The organization also posted a report from the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, which claims that the Alliance Defending Freedom International (ADFI), ⁷ a right-of-center Christian litigation and advocacy organization, uses policy tactics to limit LGBT interests in various European countries. ⁸

In February 2023, AFE, alongside the Human Rights Campaign,⁹ the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), ¹⁰ and more than 100 left-leaning organizations called on the New York Times ¹¹ to conform their coverage of transgender people and transgender-related issues to the views of organized LGBT interests. ¹²

Following Target’s backlash in June 2023 for removing LGBT Pride merchandise during Pride Month, over 200 organizations including Accountable for Equality signed a statement drafted by the Human Rights Campaign, GLAAD, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN),¹³ and other left-wing groups, urging Target and other businesses to reject and denounce anti-LGBT positions. ¹⁴

1. “Rotten Court.” Accountable For Equality. Accessed July 24, 2023. https://accountableforequality.org/
2. “Twitter.” InfluenceWatch, February 3, 2023. https://www.influencewatch.org/for-profit/twitter/.
3. Action, Accountable for Equality. “Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni Has Just Signed One of the World’s Harshest Anti-LGBTQ+ Bills into Law >>#lgbtqrightshttps://T.Co/SBBZKWLKE8.” Twitter, May 30, 2023. https://twitter.com/AccountableFor/status/1663605025862561793?s=20
4. “Rotten Court.” Accountable For Equality. Accessed July 24, 2023. https://accountableforequality.org/
5. “Clarence Thomas (Supreme Court).” Ballotpedia. Accessed August 10, 2023. https://ballotpedia.org/Clarence_Thomas_(Supreme_Court).
6. “Rotten Court.” Accountable For Equality. Accessed July 24, 2023. https://accountableforequality.org/
7. “Alliance Defending Freedom.” InfluenceWatch, October 27, 2022. https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/alliance-defending-freedom/
8. “Rotten Court.” Accountable For Equality. Accessed July 24, 2023. https://accountableforequality.org/
9. “Human Rights Campaign.” InfluenceWatch, April 12, 2022. https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/human-rights-campaign/
10. “Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD).” InfluenceWatch, November 23, 2020. https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/gay-lesbian-alliance-against-defamation/
11. “New York Times.” InfluenceWatch, July 31, 2020. https://www.influencewatch.org/for-profit/new-york-times/.
12. “Human Rights Campaign, GLAAD, 100+ Organizations & Advocates Call out Biased, Harmful New York Times Coverage of Transgender People in Joint Letter.” Human Rights Campaign. Accessed July 24, 2023. https://www.hrc.org/press-releases/human-rights-campaign-glaad-100-organizations-advocates-call-out-biased-harmful-new-york-times-coverage-of-transgender-people-in-joint-letter
13.  “Glsen.” InfluenceWatch, December 21, 2022. https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/glsen/
14. Parks, Kristine. “200 LGBTQ Groups Demand Target Restock Pride Merch, Release Statement Now: ‘No Such Thing as Neutrality.’” Fox News, June 6, 2023. https://www.foxnews.com/media/200-lgbtq-groups-demand-target-restock-pride-merch-release-statement-now-no-thing-neutrality