Tell iHeartMedia to do better and drop America First Legal’s ads.

A finger pressing the mute button on the radio that says America First Legal. The text reads "Stop playing anti-trans and anti-immigrant ads." The Color Of Change logo is at the top right.

John, 

Midterm elections are in progress and right-wingers are taking a page out of their misinformation handbook to garner support for far-right candidates who ultimately will harm Black people. America First Legal is an organization launched and led by Stephen Miller, the former adviser who shaped former President Trump’s racist, white nationalist anti-immigration policies.1-3 They have purchased more than $1.5 million in radio ads to spew anti-trans and anti-immigrant misinformation specifically targeted to mislead Black voters in Georgia. This is the same organization that perverted Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s words to falsely argue that federal aid to Black farmers is racism against white people, ultimately blocking overdue federal aid designated to Black farmers.4 Now hundreds of thousands of America First Legal’s ad dollars have gone to iHeartMedia’s radio stations. Join us in calling iHeartMedia in canceling this ad buyout! 

STOP PLAYING AMERICA FIRST LEGAL ADS

Attacks on transgender and gender non-conforming people and immigrants are connected to the attacks on abortion rights and Black history, with all being rooted in white supremacy. Black people wind up most harmed. Organizations that uphold the white supremacist agenda are being well-funded, attacking Black people through ads. Similar to America First Legal, the Independent Women’s Forum receives millions of dollars in corporate support and dark money, which it uses to support right-wing lawmakers and groups and to spread anti-LGBTQ, anti-women and anti-immigrant messaging.5,6 The group's precursor helped run the campaign against Anita Hill and her claims of sexual harassment in order to aid the confirmation of Clarence Thomas to the U.S. Supreme Court.7 In recent times, the group has pushed for the overturning of Roe v Wade and abortion rights.8 These events ultimately have harmed Black people, who experience higher rates of maternal mortality, miscarriage and stillbirth.9,10 With many states now outlawing or restricting abortion, the invasion of privacy will further the overcriminalization and disenfranchisement of Black communities.11 The liberation of all our communities is intertwined and we must resist all efforts to subjugate anyone who is not a cisgender white man to strict gender norms and an oppressive hierarchy.

Violence is not just physical. Transgender and gender non-conforming people already face forms of structural violence — from a lack of a social support systems to the inability to access proper medical care. This increases the risk of many entering dangerous situations, such as becoming homeless or criminalized.12 Due to racism and sexism, Black trans women and femmes are disproportionately victims of violence.13 These anti-trans ads are another act of violence that both fuels transphobic rhetoric and leads to rising anti-trans policy and legislation. States such as Texas, Florida, and Idaho have passed bills that further stigmatize transgender and gender non-conforming people, including banning trans youth from playing sports, restricting schools from teaching sexuality and gender, allowing people and organizations to discriminate against LGBTQ people and more.14 We must prevent the amplification of anti-trans messaging across all media.

TELL IHEARTMEDIA TO STOP ANTI-TRANS VIOLENCE

Radio remains an influential channel for receiving information for a majority of Americans, especially Black folks.15 The right has used such misinformation tactics in the past with the clear intention to dissuade, discourage and mislead Black voters.16 Let’s show them these ads won’t be successful!

NO HATEFUL MISINFORMATION ON THE RADIO

Until justice is real,

—The Color Of Change team

 

References: 

  1. Sara Dorn, “Ex-Trump aides behind scare ads attacking Democrats over transgender issues and immigration,” Forbes, October 25, 2022, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/371561?t=8&akid=54019%2E4731121%2ElG8FZM. 
  2. ​​”American First Legal Foundation,” Influence Watch, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/371562?t=10&akid=54019%2E4731121%2ElG8FZM. 
  3. “Stephen Miller,” Southern Poverty Law Center,  https://act.colorofchange.org/go/371563?t=12&akid=54019%2E4731121%2ElG8FZM. 
  4. Matt Stieb, “Stephen Miller cites MLK in lawsuit accusing government of being racist to white people,” Intelligencer, April 27, 2021, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/371564?t=14&akid=54019%2E4731121%2ElG8FZM. 
  5. Julia Peck, Ansev Demirhan, and Alyssa Bowen, “Dark money ‘women’s groups’ are using anti-trans scaremongering to oppose ERA,” March 22, 2022, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/371565?t=16&akid=54019%2E4731121%2ElG8FZM. 
  6. Sam Biddle, “How Amazon, Google, and Facebook Helped Fund the Campaign to Overturn Roe,” The Intercept, October 1, 2022, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/371566?t=18&akid=54019%2E4731121%2ElG8FZM. 
  7. Ibid.
  8. Barbara Spindel, “Confirmation Bias,” Slate, April 7, 2016, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/371567?t=20&akid=54019%2E4731121%2ElG8FZM. 
  9. “Maternal Mortality Rates in the United States, 2020,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/371568?t=22&akid=54019%2E4731121%2ElG8FZM. 
  10. Ashley Nellis, “The Color of Justice: Racial and Ethnic Disparity in State Prisons,” The Sentencing Project, October 13, 2021, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/25768?t=24&akid=54019%2E4731121%2ElG8FZM.
  11. Sarah Green Carmichael, “Criminalizing abortion will hurt Black women most,” The Washington Post, June 26, 2022, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/357418?t=26&akid=54019%2E4731121%2ElG8FZM. 
  12. “Dismantling a Culture of Violence,” Human Rights Foundation, October 2021, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/371569?t=28&akid=54019%2E4731121%2ElG8FZM. 
  13. “Trans agenda for liberation: Pillar 1 Black Trans Women and Black Trans Femmes: Leading & Living Fiercely,” Transgender Law Center, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/371570?t=30&akid=54019%2E4731121%2ElG8FZM. 
  14. Anne Branigin and N. Kirkpatrick, “Anti-trans laws are on the rise. Here’s a look at where—and what kind,” The Washington Post, October 14, 2022, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/371571?t=32&akid=54019%2E4731121%2ElG8FZM. 
  15. “Audio and Podcasting Fact Sheet,” Pew Research Center, June 29, 2021, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/371572?t=34&akid=54019%2E4731121%2ElG8FZM. 
  16. Renée DiRest, “The Misinformation Campaign Was Distinctly One-Sided,” The Atlantic, March 15, 2021, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/371573?t=36&akid=54019%2E4731121%2ElG8FZM.