The Amazon corporation has blocked an anti-LGBTQ advocacy group from their “Smile” charity.
The company’s AmazonSmile arrangement gives various nonprofits part of the proceeds made from the site’s sales.
The right-wing Christian group, Alliance Defending Freedom, is well-known for initiating lawsuits against LGBTQ rights protections. They are listed on Southern Poverty Law Center’s extremist watch page as a designated hate group.
In 2017, the SPLC wrote “The Alliance Defending Freedom spreads demonizing lies about the LGBT community in this country and seeks to criminalize it abroad.”
According to Pink News, the faith-based ADF is “furious” to be removed from the Smile platform, and is accusing the tech juggernaut of religious discrimination:
“The ADF has opposed same-sex weddings, gay adoptions, civil unions, and even the repeal of Sodomy laws, strongly opposing the 2003 Supreme Court decision to strike down state laws banning gay sex. It was caught waging a campaign to keep gay sex illegal in other countries.”
The ADF was asked on FOX News to criticize Amazon and the SPLC. They were not questioned about their LGBTQ-phobic work.
Recently, the ADF advocated (in court) for the right of a funeral home to dismiss a transgender employee, due to “religious freedom.” The claim was rejected by 6th Circuit Court of Appeals.