Last week, the American Principles Project announced a digital ad buy in Michigan and potentially other states with a series of three ads blatantly lying about the Equality Act and targeting the transgender community. At the time, HRC called upon Facebook, Twitter and other platforms to take down the ads or label them as misinformation. Today, Facebook added a “Fact Check” to the advertisement after Politifact issued a fact check on the advertisements. In response, HRC President Alphonso David issued the following statement:

“The American Principles Project is a hate group blatantly lying about the Equality Act and misrepresenting the transgender community. Last week, we called on Facebook to take down these deceitful ads or label them as the misinformation they are and are proud to report that Facebook has now added a fact check to the advertisements.

“While this is a great first step, we will continue to dialogue with Twitter, YouTube, and other social media platforms to ensure that APP and their misleading advertisements are labeled for the misinformation they are or removed entirely.

“APP wants a future where LGBTQ people can be fired, denied housing, refused business services or health care solely because of who they are. But we will continue to hold them accountable and expose their lies.”

BACKGROUND

While the American Principles Project has claimed they launched a $4 million advertising blitz across Michigan attacking transgender people, they have in fact only spent about $316,000 according to their latest FEC filing.

Earlier today, LGBTQ Nation reported that the “star” of their advertisement only openly identified as “formerly transgender” after he became the director of Dallas Mass Resistance, an anti-LGBTQ hate group recognized by the Southern Poverty Law Center.