The COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown created an online ecosystem ripe for misinformation and radicalization. One of the new right wing movements that got its start during this time was the "Parents' Rights" movement, and the group that has pushed this the hardest is Moms For Liberty, who portray themselves as moms standing up for freedom. This week, June and Josh dig into Moms For Liberty to unravel their true agenda and discover how they’ve managed to become an organizing base of the Republican Party in their goal of dismantling the public education system.

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EPISODE ART: Bridget Ziegler, co-founder of Moms for Liberty and current member of the school board in Sarasota County, Florida. In 2022, Ziegler accepted a director position at the Leadership Institute, a conservative training center in Arlington, VA, but was later forced to resign due to sexual assault allegations involving her, her husband, and an unnamed other woman.

AUDIO CLIPS:

• 25:18 – Amber Schroeder, a Moms for Liberty chapter leader in Wisconsin, being interviewed for a segment on ABC's Good Morning America
• 51:47 – Mia Hughes, a Canadian anti-trans advocate, in Moms for Liberty University's YouTube video "Gender 101: Gender Ideology"
• 57:16 – January Littlejohn, a Florida mother, on the Moms for Liberty "Joyful Warriors" Podcast

FURTHER READING:

• Josh interviews 404 Media's Jason Koebler about Facebook AI slop on The Worst of All Possible Worlds (YouTube / Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Pocket Casts)

SOURCES:

• Moms for Liberty has turned ‘parental rights’ into a rallying cry for conservative parents
• Moms for Liberty’s growth slows again this year
• Garland asks FBI to address recent ‘disturbing spike’ in threats against educators
• Moms for Liberty candidates won less elections in 2023, but is winning the group’s goal?
• Moms for Liberty Has a ‘University.’ What Is It Teaching?
• Indiana chapter of Moms for Liberty apologizes for using Hitler quote
• Michigan Lawmakers Are Attempting to Ban Porn Entirely
• The Roots of Moms for Liberty Run Deeper Than They Think
• What we know about the Ziegler sexual assault probe

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