Traditional Values Coalition
The Traditional Values Coalition (TVC) was an American conservative Christian organization. It was founded in 1980 at Anaheim California by Rev. Louis P. Sheldon to oppose LGBT rights.[1] Sheldon's daughter, Andrea Sheldon Lafferty, was initially the executive director and presently (since 2011) serves as president.[2][3][4] TVC was influential in the 1980s and 1990s in lobbying for government policy based in Christian fundamentalism.[5][6][7][8][9]
Abbreviation
TVC
1980
- Anaheim, California
- United States
33-0055498
public education and lobbying
- 139 C St SE
- Washington, DC 20003-1807
- United States[a]
United States
Andrea Sheldon Lafferty[b]
$1,731,405[a]
$1,492,868[a]
TVC was designated an anti-gay hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), citing TVC's use of "known falsehoods—claims about LGBT people that have been thoroughly discredited by scientific authorities—and repeated, groundless name-calling."[10]
The SPLC reported that the Traditional Values Coalition may have effectively ceased to function as of 2018.[1] It was still filing IRS forms as of 2019.[3][a]
Hate group[edit]
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) enumerated false statements made by TVC, including the claim that gay people travel door-to-door to steal American children and transform them into homosexuals. The SPLC also notes that TVC has a history of Islamophobic statements. Because of this, SPLC classified TVC as a hate group[39] beginning in 2008. The SPLC removed the designation in 2018 because the group appeared to be inactive or defunct.[4]
Christian Seniors Association[edit]
The TVC operated a subsidiary under the name of "Christian Seniors Association" under the leadership of James Lafferty, the husband of Andrea Sheldon Lafferty.[40] It aims to be a conservative alternative to the AARP. It attracted some attention for distributing financial appeals that are designed to be confused with census material.[41][42][43]
