These 24 violent extremist & anti-LGBTQ+ advocacy groups pose a danger to LGBTQ+ people

One of the greatest threats to LGBTQ+ people is violent extremist groups and anti-LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations that would seek to roll back rights and freedoms for the LGBTQ+ community. GLAAD’s ALERT Desk has documented thousands of incidents highlighting the rising impact of anti-LGBTQ+ advocacy groups and violent extremists. The data reveals a troubling trend: extremist groups targeting LGBTQ+ people with threats, misinformation, and violent acts. Below are some of the most active and influential groups pushing anti-LGBTQ+ agendas, from legislative advocacy to direct violent extremism.

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Proud Boys

Since June 2022, Proud Boys affiliates have perpetrated at least 69 anti-LGBTQ+ incidents. Known for aggressive confrontations, Proud Boys joined Rose City Nationalists on October 23, 2022, to disrupt a drag story hour in Eugene, Oregon, where bear spray and paintballs were reportedly used on attendees. Their violent activism extends to Springfield, Ohio, where they targeted Haitian migrants, further exemplifying their stance against LGBTQ+ and other marginalized communities.

Patriot Front

Patriot Front, involved in at least 28 anti-LGBTQ+ incidents, gained notoriety in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, in June 2022, when 31 members were arrested for plotting to disrupt a pride parade. Their organized hate stems from white supremacist ideology, which they use to justify protests against LGBTQ+ events across the country, contributing to a hostile atmosphere aimed at instilling fear.

Blood Tribe

With at least eight recorded incidents, Blood Tribe openly displays fascist symbolism and anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric. They joined White Lives Matter and Proud Boys at a Wadsworth, Ohio, drag story hour in March 2023, brandishing swastika flags and chanting threats like “There will be blood.” Their alliances with other white nationalist groups intensify their impact, targeting LGBTQ+ spaces to propagate fear.

Active Club Network

Affiliates of the Active Club Network have carried out 25 anti-LGBTQ+ incidents since June 2022. In May 2023, Active Club members disrupted Bozeman Pride in Montana, chanting violent slogans and allegedly assaulting a counter-protester. Their decentralized structure enables local chapters to employ similar violent tactics nationwide, reinforcing an organized network of hate.

White Lives Matter Network (WLM)

White Lives Matter has documented at least 34 anti-LGBTQ+ incidents. One affiliate threw Molotov cocktails at a church in Chesterland, Ohio, in March 2023 to prevent a drag event. WLM’s deliberate targeting of LGBTQ+ and diverse spaces aims to dismantle community support, spreading division and hostility through symbolic and physical violence.

National Justice Party (NJP)

The NJP has committed at least 17 anti-LGBTQ+ incidents, notably protesting at Tennessee’s state capitol in April 2023 with anti-trans slogans. The group frequently joins forces with other anti-LGBTQ+ extremists, furthering a collective agenda to erase LGBTQ+ presence in public and legislative spheres.

Local Chapters of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK)

Local KKK chapters have carried out 18 anti-LGBTQ+ incidents, including a June 2023 demonstration at Corbin Pride in Kentucky, where members armed with firearms intimidated attendees. The Klan’s presence at LGBTQ+ events underscores its continued influence in promoting violent hate, particularly in smaller communities.

Nationalist Social Club (NSC-131)

The Nationalist Social Club (NSC-131), associated with at least 11 anti-LGBTQ+ incidents since June 2022, actively targets LGBTQ+ events and spaces to promote its white nationalist ideology. On July 23, 2022, NSC-131 members protested a Drag Queen Story Hour at a community center in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, which escalated into violence with counter-protesters, resulting in the arrest of NSC-131 leader Chris Hood. The group’s use of intimidation and physical confrontations underscores its commitment to opposing LGBTQ+ visibility through organized, aggressive tactics.

Goyim Defense League (GDL)

The Goyim Defense League (GDL) has committed at least 223 anti-LGBTQ+ incidents since June 2022, frequently blending antisemitic and anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric. On June 23, 2023, GDL members held a flash demonstration outside Temple Beth Israel in Macon, Georgia, where they shouted slurs and displayed an anti-LGBTQ+ effigy. GDL leverages these events to propagate hate against multiple marginalized groups, positioning LGBTQ+ and Jewish communities as mutual targets in its campaigns of intimidation and bigotry.

Guardians of Divinity (GOD)

Since June 2022, the Guardians of Divinity (GOD) have been connected to at least 23 anti-LGBTQ+ incidents across the U.S., including a prominent demonstration on December 19, 2022. Members protested outside NYC Council Member Erik Bottcher’s home, leaving graffiti accusing him of “grooming” children and supporting “pedophilia,” allegedly over his endorsement of drag queen story hours. The group has repeatedly targeted LGBTQ+ advocates, using harassment and defamation to further its anti-LGBTQ+ agenda, often invoking extreme rhetoric that associates LGBTQ+ rights with harm to children.

North Side 15th Ave Gang

The North Side 15th Avenue Gang, based in Phoenix, Arizona, has been linked to two anti-LGBTQ+ incidents since June 2022. On November 25, 2023, three gang members were arrested following the brutal murder of a gay man, whose body was found shot and mutilated in a Phoenix park. Social media exchanges between the suspects contained homophobic slurs, leading authorities to classify the crime as a hate-motivated attack. This incident highlights the gang’s violent opposition to LGBTQ+ individuals within their claimed territory.

Libs of TikTok

Linked to over 151 incidents, Libs of TikTok’s platform has become a vehicle for harassment, notably initiating a 2024 campaign against Planet Fitness’s trans-inclusive locker rooms that preceded over 90 bomb threats. Run by former Brooklyn real estate agent Chaya Raichik, its social media presence amplifies anti-LGBTQ+ hate and, throughstochastic terrorism, inspires real-life threats against inclusive policies and LGBTQ+ individuals.

Gays Against Groomers

Since 2022, Gays Against Groomers has been implicated in 115 incidents, frequently protesting alongside violent groups. Their rhetoric, often promoting baseless links between LGBTQ+ identity and child endangerment, fuels misinformation that invites extremist group participation and intensifies public harassment of LGBTQ+ spaces.

Family Research Council

The Family Research Council advocates against LGBTQ+ rights, portraying the Equality Act as harmful and opposing gender-affirming healthcare. FRC promotes anti-LGBTQ+ policies under the guise of “family values,” distributing materials that spread misinformation about LGBTQ+ identities, contributing to social and legislative hostility.

Alliance Defending Freedom

ADF is a prominent legal advocate for anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. In 2022, ADF affiliates targeted a trans school board member inNorth Carolina, misgendering them during public commentary. ADF’s influence extends to courtroom battles, shaping policy that restricts LGBTQ+ rights, particularly in schools and healthcare.

Liberty Counsel

Chaired by Mat Staver, Liberty Counsel pushes anti-LGBTQ+ ideology, often equating LGBTQ+ activism with terrorism. The group’s rhetoric encourages violence against LGBTQ+ people, with members claiming civil rights protections threaten “Western values.” Their efforts fuel dangerous narratives against LGBTQ+ inclusion.

American Family Association

Founded by Don Wildmon, the AFA advances harmful stereotypes against LGBTQ+ people. Wildmon’s statements likening gay players to distractions in locker rooms exemplify AFA’s dedication to discriminatory narratives. The group’s stance promotes exclusionary “values” that demean LGBTQ+ identity.

MassResistance

Since June 2022, MassResistance has orchestrated at least three anti-LGBTQ+ incidents across the U.S., targeting LGBTQ+ visibility and events. The group protested a Drag Story Hour at the North Valleys Library in Reno, Nevada, on June 15, 2024, framing drag as “sexually explicit” to justify their opposition. During the protest, Nevada Assembly candidate Drew Ribar reportedly injured a librarian while attempting to force his way inside, exemplifying the group’s aggressive methods. MassResistance focuses particularly on LGBTQ+ education and public events, often using inflammatory rhetoric to incite fear and backlash against inclusive programming.

Moms for Liberty

Moms for Liberty affiliates have conducted 21 anti-LGBTQ+ incidents, often targeting schools. In September 2023, they joined the Proud Boys inFlorida to oppose LGBTQ+ History Month recognition. Their activism in educational spaces promotes an exclusionary agenda against LGBTQ+ representation in school curricula.

The Heritage Foundation

This think tank, responsible for the dystopian Project 2025 agenda, backs policies opposing LGBTQ+ rights, most recently supporting bans on gender-affirming care. The Heritage Foundation collaborates with groups like Moms for Liberty, promoting policies that remove LGBTQ+ visibility in educational and healthcare settings. Heritage Foundation’s widespread influence shapes anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.

Women’s Liberation Front (WoLF)

Since June 2022, WoLF has been involved in at least three anti-LGBTQ+ incidents, with a primary focus on opposing transgender rights in women’s spaces. On June 13, 2024, WoLF protested at a Judith Butler lecture in San Francisco, displaying signs that framed transgender inclusion in women’s spaces as harmful. WoLF often promotes exclusionary narratives, claiming transgender rights infringe upon women’s safety. Their protests and messaging leverage feminist rhetoric to oppose LGBTQ+ inclusivity, fostering an atmosphere that pits women’s rights against LGBTQ+ advocacy.

Save Women's Sports

Founded by Beth Stelzer, Save Women’s Sports campaigns against trans women’s participation in sports, using debunked arguments to lobby for exclusionary legislation. Their testimonies misrepresent scientific understanding of sex and gender, exacerbating discrimination against trans women and girls in sports.

American College of Pediatricians

The ACP, labeled a hate group by the SPLC, uses junk science to argue against gender-affirming care and LGBTQ+ parental rights. They collaborate with Alliance Defending Freedom to promote policy restricting LGBTQ+ rights, issuing statements that misrepresent scientific research to influence legislation nationwide.

Glendale Unified School District Parents Voices

California’s GUSD Parents’ Voices has participated in at least three anti-LGBTQ+ incidents since June 2022, mainly targeting LGBTQ+ inclusivity in schools. On June 6, 2023, they protested at a Glendale Unified School District meeting over a proposal to recognize Pride Month, joined by the Proud Boys in a demonstration that led to violent clashes. Protesters wore shirts with slogans like “End trans terror” and engaged in physical confrontations with counter-protesters. The group’s actions are emblematic of a growing movement among parents opposing LGBTQ+ visibility in education, often working alongside extremist groups to advocate for exclusionary school policies.