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The event is often a meeting point for anti-Muslim and anti-LGBT elements on the Christian hard right. As Hatewatch听previously reported, this year鈥檚 event is on track to be no different: 鈥淐onfirmed speakers include听, anti-LGBT pastor and activist听, anti-Muslim Lt. Gen. (ret.)听Jerry Boykin, and anti-LGBT speaker and activist听.鈥�

The event attracts hundreds of local and state organizations from around the country. One of these organizations is the South Dakota-based Family Heritage Alliance (FHA). Founded in 2010, FHA听, 鈥渁 family and conservative values advocacy group focused on promoting and defending faith, family, and freedom.鈥澨�

However FHA鈥檚 activities in South Dakota are much more than politically conservative advocacy.听

鈥淭his ideology disguised as a religion鈥澨�听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听

For several years national groups representing anti-LGBT and anti-Muslim movements have been听converging听with key figures speaking at each other鈥檚 events and supporting each other鈥檚 causes. This convergence has also made its way to state-focused organizations like FHA, which in addition to its high-profile听听, has more recently turned to spreading anti-Muslim hate.听

Hatewatch identified several blog entries that praised and/or promoted anti-Muslim speakers or anti-Islam content on its website. Posted under tags such as 鈥淚slam,鈥� 鈥渉omeland security,鈥� 鈥淎ct for America鈥� and 鈥淔HA Leadership,鈥� most of the blogs were dedicated to promoting and summarizing events featuring known anti-Muslim figures including听,听,听,听ACT for America听founder听听and听听.

A handful of entries are reprints or reposts of other material, such as听听by the 鈥�Patriot鈥� extremist media outfit WorldNetDaily, which attacked South Dakota civil rights advocate听by quoting Shahram Hadian, who runs the hate group,听Truth in Love Project.听

In January 2018, FHA reposted a summary of a 2016 talk by Amy Willson, a former FHA staffer. Her presentation on Muslim refugees expressed a mix of anti-Muslim and nativist hate, by decrying that Americans 鈥渁re choosing refugees from cultures alien to the Western Judeo Christian ethic鈥� and described Islam as an 鈥渋deology,鈥� a common anti-Muslim trope.听

Ed Randazzo, FHA鈥檚 director of political operations, expressed similar sentiments. In a public Facebook post on his personal profile, he voiced his support for听Aynaz 鈥淎nni鈥� Cyrus, an anti-Muslim figure, who travels the country spreading anti-Muslim hate at public speaking engagements. In his post, Randazzo characterized Islam as 鈥渢his ideology described as a religion,鈥� 鈥渁n aberrant ideology already on our shores,鈥� 鈥渆vil,鈥� and 鈥渁n ideology that is antithetical to freedom and your well being.鈥�

Randazzo has previously used his personal Facebook profile to cast Islam in existentially threatening terms while promoting anti-Muslim figures. On June 2, 2017, in a post promoting a talk by John Guandolo, President of听Understanding the Threat听(UTT), and his听former business partner听Chris Gaubatz, Randazzo proclaimed, 鈥淭hese gentlemen are the real deal. If you think that Islam is not a threat to your way of life, don鈥檛 miss this.鈥�

Working with others to spread anti-Muslim hate听

FHA works with other organizations to attack Muslims, the most prominent being the local chapter of ACT for America, run by none other than Amy Willson.听

Willson has been the key node connecting ACT and FHA. Far from downplaying their ties to Willson and ACT, in a 2015 blog post entitled, 鈥�,鈥� FHA proudly advertised that Willson won ACT鈥檚 鈥淐itizen Legislator of the Year鈥� award for working to pass a state-level anti-Female Genital Mutilation bill. The post went on to say:

As a postscript, upon reading this article, Amy asked that I also include that she feels very blessed to be working at Family Heritage Alliance and that she would have had a shot at getting the FGM bill passed if it were not for the help and support of the FHA and the FHA staff.

There are other examples of FHA鈥檚 partnership with groups, including the local ACT chapter. Hatewatch identified at least six anti-Muslim hate events in 2017 that FHA had sponsored, co-sponsored or openly promoted:

• January 27: FHA听听an event with ACT for America on 鈥淚SLAM.鈥�

路听听听听听听听February 16-17: FHA, along with ACT for America and several other organizations, co-sponsored a pair of events with the Family Research Council, featuring Lt. General Jerry Boykin and Randy Wilson.听听

• April 29: Family Heritage Alliance co-sponsored with ACT for America and others, an event called 鈥�,鈥� featuring听听. The event received push back from local organizations, resulting in FHA鈥檚听听writing a letter to the editor defending the event.
• May 31: Amy Willson,听, promoted an anti-Muslim film听Faithkeepers, produced by the hate organization,听Clarion Project.听听ACT sponsored the film鈥檚 screening.
• June 15: FHA, ACT for America and others co-sponsored a presentation by John Guandolo and Chris Gaubatz from Understanding the Threat.听
• September 18: Far-right film maker Trevor Loudon, known for promoting the 鈥淢arxist-Muslim alliance鈥� conspiracy narrative through films such听The Enemies Withinand听Civil War 2017, spoke in South Dakota at an event dubbed the 鈥淟iberty Rally.鈥澨�, FHA was listed as an event sponsor in a poster displayed outside the event.

In 2018, Randazzo used his social media page to give his full-throated support for Anni Cyrus鈥� recent event. However he publicly听that FHA was a sponsor of the event.

Working anti-Muslim hate into the mainstream

FHA鈥檚 efforts to promote anti-Muslim hate extend into South Dakota鈥檚 state legislature and other halls of power.听

Hatewatch analyzed all of FHA鈥檚 annual scorecards produced since 2015 by its lobbying arm, FHA Action, identifying at least three examples where the organization has expressed its explicit support for anti-Muslim bills and resolutions in the South Dakota state legislature.

FHA Action鈥檚听听included support for HB 1089, an anti-FGM bill. As noted earlier, local ACT chapter activist and former FHA staffer Amy Willson won a national award from ACT for her role in passing the bill. HB 1089鈥檚 passage was celebrated by Willson in a听she authored on the FHA Action website.

Hatewatch鈥檚 analysis of HB 1089 shows it has large amounts of text identical to a failed 2017 Maine bill,听, sponsored by state Representative Heather Sirocki.听

LD 745 was听听by the Maine chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union for being 鈥渞edundant鈥� and 鈥渘othing more than an attempt to single out behavior that is commonly attributed to certain religious and ethnic communities as different from other forms of abuse.鈥� (Earlier this year a pair of听Hatewatchinvestigations听found Rep. Sirocki was working closely with the Maine chapter of ACT for America to pass a 2018 version of her anti-FGM bill.)

The听听included advocating for the passage of听, a bill that allowed for the forfeiture and disposition of property used in material support for acts of terrorism, lifting wording from 鈥淎ndy鈥檚 Law鈥� bills being sponsored in other state legislatures around the country. Originally developed by the hate group听American Public Policy Alliance听(APPA), which is also houses 鈥�anti-Sharia鈥� bill model language on its website,听experts听have noted the APPA鈥檚 template legislation is both redundant and whose only real effect is perpetuating fears about Muslims.听

This year鈥檚 鈥溾�� included support for听, an anti-Sharia resolution, sponsored by Senator Neal Tapio, a South Dakota legislator with an extensive track record of supporting anti-Muslim hate.听

Earlier this year it was听reported听Sen. Tapio said in unguarded remarks that a terrorist attack would boost his campaign for South Dakota鈥檚 soon-to-be vacated congressional seat.

FHA has also met with officials such as South Dakota Secretary of State Shantel Krebs and Attorney General Marty Jackley.

According to its website, FHA met with Krebs as early as September 27, 2016, when it awarded her their William Wilberforce Elected Official Leadership Award. FHA and Krebs publicly crossed paths again when she and Marty Jackley听. Krebs and Jackley did not directly respond to media requests for comment about their attendance. Jackley鈥檚 office eventually responded to the UK news outlet,听The Independent听by听听his attendance, saying, 鈥淗e was there for less than 15 [minutes]鈥�before he went to a different engagement.鈥澨�

In March 2018, Krebs听听with a group of people that included FHA鈥檚 Ed Randazzo and ACT鈥檚 Amy Willson 鈥� whom she collectively described as 鈥渇aith leaders.鈥� The meeting came听听after she received an endorsement from prominent听anti-immigrant movement听figure Kris Kobach and declared her explicit support for President Trump鈥檚 鈥淢uslim registry.鈥澨�

Five months into 2018, FHA continues to seek political influence and policy change. Ed Randazzo is听, currently involved in a three-way primary battle for District 32 in the South Dakota House of Representatives.听听More recently, FHA has sought to extend its presence into local politics,听听candidate Paul TenHaken for mayor of Sioux Falls.听

FHA鈥檚 increased involvement in politics and hate, often masked in the name of faith, hasn鈥檛 fooled people and is receiving pushback. A local activist named Stacey Burnette, perhaps put it best in a recent听听in the听Argus Leader, 鈥淲hile this group [FHA] claims to represent Christian values, its only devotion has been to support hate and discrimination against the LGBT, Muslims and people of color in South Dakota.鈥�