In a speech Thursday to attendees of a right-wing conference bringing together prominent right-wing conservative and religious organizations, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston was asked to explain how the conservative ideas explored at the conference “can be implemented in the Denver community” and “how can these concepts work in a city as ideologically diverse as Denver?” according to a description of Johnston’s speech posted online ahead of the speech.
The American Enterprise Institute (AIE), perhaps the nation’s most prominent conservative think tank, hosted a conference in Denver on Thursday.
According to agendaonly two elected officials appeared on the program, and, surprise, both are Democrats.
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and State Senate President Pro Tem James Coleman (Denver Democrat) joined speakers from various national right-wing advocacy groups, including the funded Stand Together Foundation by Koch and the LIBRE Institute, as well as two local conservative groups. , the Common Sense Institute and Parents Challenge, founded by school choice advocate Steve Schuck, with the goal of voucher promotion.
The event also featured speakers from two conservative Christian groups: the Acton Institute and the Institute for Family Studies, both of which campaign against LGBT rights.
Anthony Bradley is a senior fellow at the Acton Institute, a conservative Christian think tank based in Michigan that was founded with the mission of “integrating Judeo-Christian truths with free market principles.” Affiliated with the right-wing State Policy Network, the Acton Institute has published articles characterizing abortion as “violence against women”, asserting that being gay is a choice, and equating surrogacy with child trafficking. The Acton Institute also defends the right of religious adoption agencies to refuse to serve same-sex couples and advocates for replacing welfare with religious charitiesand once published a piece (briefly) titled “Bring Back Child Labor”.
Another speaker, Dr. Jenet Erickson, who teaches at Brigham Young University in addition to her research fellowship at the Institute for Family Studies (IFS), called same-sex relationships “inherently unstable.” and claims that the majority of same-sex couples are “dysfunctional” and “erratic.” Like the Action Institute, the IFS is part of the State Policy Network.
Erickson moderated the day’s five panel discussions, on “The Importance of the Family System,” with speakers from two Christian nonprofit organizations. Bradley appeared on a panel titled Faith Communities and Collective Resistance, featuring another Christian nonprofit and a program manager from the Stand Together Foundation. All speakers on topics related to faith were Christians.
Naomi Schaefer Riley, AEI senior fellow, discussed how to reform the foster care system to help at-risk youth. She is also known as the author of an article titled “The Most Compelling Arguments for Eliminating Black Studies?” Just Read the Dissertations”, which led to her being fired when she was a collaborator of the Chronicle of Higher Education.
The program is part of AEI’s FREE Initiative, which it says “cultivates a deeper understanding of how families, faith communities, educational institutions and entrepreneurial cultures weave together a moral fabric that shapes children… FREE Forums are a central pillar of the FREE Initiative. efforts. AEI will host rallies in cities across the United States with the goal of educating and encouraging leaders to build grassroots institutions that empower the next generation.
Despite the name, attendance at the conference costs $125.
According to the agenda, Mayor Johnson discussed “how the ideas explored throughout the day can be implemented in the Denver community.” How can these concepts work in a city as ideologically diverse as Denver? Can we work together on behalf of children and find a common goal to overcome ideological differences and achieve the common good? »
Senator Coleman made “remarks that describe how family, religious, educational and business institutions are faring in Denver and what unique strengths and challenges exist for the region going forward.”
Neither Mayor Johnston nor Senator Coleman responded to voicemail requests for comment. This article will be updated with any responses received.