American Family Association Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
American Family Association

Founded	1977; 48 years ago (1977)
Founder	Donald Wildmon
Type	Public charity 501(c)(3)
Focus	Advocacy of Protestant fundamentalism in the U.S.
Location	Tupelo, Mississippi
Area served	United States
Method	Boycotts
Key people	Tim Wildmon, President
Revenue	$21,342,355 (2020)

The American Family Association (AFA) is a conservative Christian group in the United States. It was founded in 1977 by Donald Wildmon. The AFA is known for its strong views based on its interpretation of the Bible. The group opposes LGBTQ rights and what it considers to be inappropriate content in the media.

The AFA is part of the Christian right, a movement of Christians who are active in politics. The group's goal is to promote its view of "biblical decency" in American society. To do this, the AFA organizes boycotts, sends out email alerts, and lobbies the government. It also runs a network of nearly 200 radio stations called American Family Radio.

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), an organization that tracks hate groups, has listed the AFA as an anti-LGBTQ hate group since 2010. The SPLC states this is because the AFA has spread false and "demonizing propaganda" about LGBTQ people.

What Does the AFA Do?
Campaigns and Boycotts
- Examples of Boycotts
- One Million Moms Project
Views on Social and Religious Issues
See also

What Does the AFA Do?

The AFA is led by Tim Wildmon, the son of the founder. The organization has several ways of sharing its message.

AFA Journal: This is a monthly magazine sent to about 180,000 people. It includes news and articles that support the AFA's views. The journal also reviews TV shows and lists their advertisers, encouraging readers to contact them if they dislike a show's content.
American Family Radio (AFR): This is a network of about 200 radio stations in 33 states that broadcast Christian-focused programs.
OneNewsNow.com: This is the AFA's online news service. It provides news articles and opinion columns from a conservative Christian viewpoint.

Campaigns and Boycotts

The AFA often asks its members to join boycotts. A boycott is when people refuse to buy products from a company to show they disagree with its actions. The AFA has organized boycotts against many companies for reasons related to LGBTQ rights, holiday advertising, or the content of movies and TV shows.

Examples of Boycotts

The AFA has boycotted dozens of well-known companies. Here are a few examples:

7-Eleven: In 1986, after a two-year boycott by the AFA, the convenience store stopped selling adult magazines.
Walt Disney Company: In 1996, the AFA started a nine-year boycott of Disney. The boycott began after Disney started giving health benefits to the same-sex partners of its employees. The AFA ended the boycott in 2005.
Ford Motor Company: In 2005, the AFA boycotted Ford for advertising in magazines aimed at a gay audience and for supporting gay rights groups. The boycott ended in 2008.
McDonald's: In 2008, the AFA boycotted McDonald's because a person on its board of directors was also on the board of a gay and lesbian business group. The boycott ended after McDonald's said it would remain neutral on the issue of same-sex marriage.
The Gap: In 2009, the AFA called for a boycott of The Gap because its holiday ads did not use the word "Christmas." The company later released ads that did mention Christmas.
Archie Comics: In 2012, the AFA led a boycott against the comic book publisher after it released an issue that featured a same-sex wedding.
Target: In 2016, the AFA launched a boycott of Target after the company announced that transgender customers and employees could use the restroom that matched their gender identity. The boycott ended in 2025 after Target announced changes to its diversity programs.

One Million Moms Project

The AFA created a project called "One Million Moms." This project uses a website to organize parents who want to protest media content they find offensive.

In 2012, the group protested J. C. Penney for hiring talk show host Ellen DeGeneres as its spokesperson because she is openly gay. The company stood by its decision, and the campaign was not successful.

In 2019, the group complained when The Hallmark Channel showed a commercial for a wedding website that featured two women kissing. Hallmark first pulled the ad but then reversed its decision after many people protested the removal.

Views on Social and Religious Issues

The AFA has strong opinions on many social and religious topics.

Views on Homosexuality

The AFA believes that the Bible teaches that being gay is "unnatural and sinful." The group actively works against what it calls the "homosexual agenda." It opposes same-sex marriage and other rights for LGBTQ people.

For many years, the AFA supported laws that would make homosexual conduct illegal. However, in 2015, the group told the SPLC that it no longer held this position.

Opposition to Other Religions

The AFA has also taken a stand against other religions in American public life.

In 2006, when Keith Ellison became the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Congress, the AFA protested his plan to be sworn into office using the Koran. The AFA asked its supporters to demand a law that would require the Bible to be used for all swearing-in ceremonies.

In 2007, the AFA opposed a Hindu prayer that was read to open a session of the U.S. Senate. The group said that because Hindus worship more than one god, the prayer went against the American motto "One Nation Under God."

In 2010, an AFA director wrote on his blog that no more mosques should be built in the United States. He claimed that mosques were dedicated to overthrowing the U.S. government.

"In God We Trust" Campaign

After the September 11 attacks in 2001, the AFA started a campaign to place posters of the national motto, "In God We Trust", in public schools. The group provided posters to schools and promised to legally defend any school that was challenged for displaying them.

American Family Association facts for kids

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