The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a civil rights organization with a history of controversial designations, has added Focus on the Family, a prominent conservative Evangelical ministry, to its list of “anti-LGBTQ+ hate groups.”

The Colorado Springs-based organization, founded in 1977 by Dr. James Dobson to support Christian families, now joins other conservative groups like the Family Research Council and Alliance Defending Freedom on the SPLC’s list, which critics argue often targets organizations for their traditional views on marriage and sexuality.

In its “Extremist Files” profile, the SPLC claims that Focus on the Family “has long relied on its biblical worldview strategy to push back against LGBTQ+ progress and reproductive rights.”

The organization’s online publication, The Daily Citizen, was specifically criticized for allegedly promoting “anti-trans pseudoscience” and supporting conversion therapy, which the SPLC labels as harmful.

The SPLC also pointed to Focus on the Family’s opposition to same-sex marriage and its advocacy for traditional family structures as evidence of its “extremist” stance.

Glenn T. Stanton, director of Global Family Formation Studies at Focus on the Family, responded to the designation with defiance. “To be honest, our reaction was, ‘What took them so long?'” Stanton told The Christian Post.

“We are honored to be listed alongside so many other great organizations like Alliance Defending Freedom and Family Research Council. The SPLC’s list is little more than a fundraising tool, and their name-calling doesn’t bother us.”

Stanton suggested that the SPLC targets groups like Focus on the Family to create “boogeymen” for financial gain, dismissing the hate group label as a misrepresentation of their biblically grounded mission.

The SPLC, originally founded in 1971 to combat white supremacist groups like the Ku Klux Klan, has faced criticism for expanding its hate group designations to include mainstream conservative Christian organizations.

In 2012, the SPLC’s labeling of the Family Research Council as a hate group was linked to a violent incident when a gunman, inspired by the SPLC’s list, attacked the FRC’s headquarters.

While the SPLC condemned the violence, it stood by its designation, arguing that the FRC’s rhetoric justified the label.

Critics, including Focus on the Family, contend that the SPLC’s broad application of the “hate group” label conflates traditional religious beliefs with extremism, stifling free speech and religious freedom.

Focus on the Family, which declared itself a church in 2017 for tax purposes, continues to advocate for policies rooted in its interpretation of biblical values, including opposition to abortion, same-sex marriage, and certain transgender policies.

The organization’s leaders maintain that their work is driven by a commitment to strengthening families, not promoting hatred.

However, groups like the Human Rights Campaign have long criticized Focus on the Family for its anti-LGBTQ+ activism, citing its opposition to anti-bullying programs and workplace protections for LGBTQ+ individuals.

The SPLC’s decision to list Focus on the Family has sparked mixed reactions. Supporters of the designation, including some X users, argue it reflects the organization’s harmful rhetoric.

Others, including conservative commentators, view it as further evidence of the SPLC’s bias against Christian values. The Christian Post reached out to the SPLC for comment but received no response by press time.