Dem
51
GOP
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There is a new political kid on the block: Moms for Liberty. It is a far-right group that is focused on parents' rights and it is growing in size. Specifically, it is uniting right-wing women who were not political in the past and giving them a focus: banning books and other school content they don't like. The group now has 120,000 members, with chapters in 44 states. It is even big enough now to have held a national conference on Friday in Philadelphia.
Needless to say, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) was there telling the women about all his achievements banning books and discussions of gender identity in Florida schools, and of course how he is for expanding private schools in all forms. Donald Trump also spoke there, but banning books is really DeSantis' issue, not Trump's. Nikki Haley, Mike Pence, and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) also showed up, but they are way behind DeSantis in book burning. If DeSantis is to beat Trump in the Republican primary, these are the voters he needs: conservative suburban women whose primary focus is education.
Critics of M4L have said the group is now moving beyond education and book banning and is embracing an all-purpose anti-LBGTQ+ and anti-diversity agenda. Jazmyn Henderson, a trans woman with the advocacy group ACT UP said: "This is not about ideology. We are talking about trying to wipe a community of people out of existence, about trying to force us back into the shadows." Other opponents of Moms for Liberty have taken to calling them "Klanned Karenhood."
In a way, there is an analogy here with the evangelicals. They weren't an organized political force until a few leaders showed up in the 1980s and basically organized them. Now it is very conservative (some say "bigoted") women with children who are being organized into a political force. (V)