The “Mothers for Freedom” have become a major force among US Republicans. They want to prevent what they believe to be indoctrination by liberals. Critics see them as a right-wing extremist hate group.
Catalina Stubbe has no understanding of what she is holding in her hand: an illustrated children’s book – the story of two male penguins who raise a chick. A true story.
Stubbe, mother of four, doesn’t doubt that, “but it’s something special and it’s not normal!” she says. Why should anyone learn that this is normal? It’s normal for a man and a woman to raise children: “Don’t get confused!”
120,000 members
The well-groomed woman in her forties describes herself as religious, patriotic, she loves her family and is part of the management team of “Moms for Liberty”, the “Mothers for Freedom”, a new, extreme voice in the conservative culture war.
“We are fighting for our rights as parents,” says Stubbe, “we want to restore transparency in education and we want to end indoctrination.”
Three moms in Florida started the fight against government mask requirements during the pandemic. According to their own statements, they now have around 120,000 members in 45 countries and are very successful in stirring up local school politics.
Conservative politicians celebrate Moms for Liberty for their radical position in the US culture war.
From republican celebrated politicians
A big issue: preventing what they call the sexualization of children. At her instigation, sex education books, especially those dealing with sexual orientation, have been removed hundreds of times from school libraries or blocked for younger children.
For this they are celebrated by conservative politicians like Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida. DeSantis also thinks he has to protect the children in his state from left-wing, “woken” ideologies. The idea that you can teach a second grader that gender is a matter of choice or that they were born in the wrong body is wrong, DeSantis says.
Own candidates for school boards
The activists also want to have a say in the field of racism and slavery. Her message is that children should not learn that they are oppressors just because they are white. In order to influence the curricula, the “Moms” nominate their own candidates for the directly elected local school boards.
Her record: “We supported 500 school board elections. We won 275 of them,” said Tina Descovich, one of the founders, on NBC. That’s how you do politics!
“Belong in right-wing extremist Camp”
The “Moms for Liberty” are sometimes violent. They disrupt school board meetings, offer rewards for pointing out left-wing teachers and label critics pedophilia sympathizers. This means they belong in the right-wing extremist anti-government camp, says the civil rights organization Southern Poverty Law Center.
In the conservative world, on the other hand, they have now become an important player. At the end of June at the movement’s annual meeting in Philadelphia, ex-President Donald Trump praised them for teaching the “radical left, Marxists and communists” a lesson they will never forget: “Don’t mess with America’s mothers!”
Trump, Ron DeSantis and many other Republican presidential candidates took turns on the podium at the annual convention – a sign that the “Moms for Liberty” will play a major role in the next campaign.