DeSantis, Furries, and Trump Merch: I Went to the Moms for Liberty Summit

[Celerity]

Conservative parents, Bible-thumpers, and atheist moles all gathered in Philly over the weekend to court GOP candidates and thunder against the woke.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/inside-the-moms-for-liberty-summit-in-philly-we-saw-ron-desantis-furry-panic-and-lots-of-trump-merch



Last Thursday night, I stepped off a bus in Philadelphia and was faced with colorful signs condemning my presence and spirited shouts of “Go home!” “You should be ashamed!” “See you tomorrow!” another protester promised. They believed I was a member of Moms for Liberty (M4L), a far-right faction that in just two years has skyrocketed to the national spotlight through its “parental rights” platform and push to ban school books and curricula that delve into race, gender, and LGBTQ rights.



Demonstrators turned out in full force for M4L’s second annual summit, which drew hundreds of people to a Marriott hotel downtown and served as an important stop for Republican presidential candidates including former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. During his own stump speech that weekend, multimillionaire GOP hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy would joke that M4L was his “favorite hate group in history.”

In recent weeks, the Southern Poverty Law Center classified M4L as an “anti-government extremist” group, and one Indiana chapter caught heat for quoting Adolf Hitler on the front page of its newsletter. “He alone, who OWNS the youth, GAINS the future,” read the text, which M4L defenders argued was taken out of context. The chapter later clarified that the Führer’s words were meant to “put parents on alert” to government overreach.

The Momfest backlash had police and private security swarming every corner of the convention, including this particular reception at the Museum of the American Revolution, which was vandalized after resisting pressure to cancel the event. I followed the herd of M4L disciples—who market themselves as “Joyful Warriors” who “do not co-parent with the government”—past cops and the clamor of protesters, who bore colorful signs that read “Transphobes are not welcome here,” “No quarter 4 the Klanned Karenhood,” and “Moms for Liberty members don’t season their food.”

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[TheBlackAdder]

1. I think a few pictures were missing.

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[jmbar2]

2. Great article!!! Many thanks for posting

Really good journalism. I came away feeling like I sort of understand the M4L adherents' perspectives and motivations better. But I do not agree with any of their premises. I think they are being used and coopted by more venal parties.

[2naSalit]

3. Of course they are being used...

They believe what their idols tell them to believe. Even if they don't believe in their claims, they are there for the attention and probably a stipend of some sort.

Recall the tea party and how that all worked. This is that at 3.0 and there has to be a stop to it somehow.

[Timeflyer]

4. Beware of these people--they have gop political power (see FL) and will destroy public education and

replace it with vouchers which bankrupt public schools, permit lack of oversight and accountability in education. The students suffer in the long run, while the conservative big money donors and investors rack in our tax dollars. Christofascist scam.