145 THE ANTI-GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT One area that the right has used to tap into the social conservatism of African Americans and attempt to establish connections within the African American community revolves around the issue of sexuality. The push for the expansion of gay rights and the continuation of legalizing gay marriage has produced a frestorm of reaction from social conserv- atives. The frequent invoking of the heralded Civil Rights movement by white gay rights advocates and organizations to support their claims for equality and freedom has allowed those on the right to tap into the dis- comfort present among some African Americans. I will address this issue later in the chapter. To mobilize African Americans who hold conserv- ative viewpoints on social issues, the conservative branch of the black church has been recognized by some white conservatives as a perfect conduit to the black community. Conservative organizations such as the Traditional Values Coalition have sent materials to various African American ministers that provide them with a language and a rationale for framing gay rights and civil rights as inherently different kinds of strug- gles. For example, while also holding workshops in black churches on how to mobilize the community around anti-gay rights, this literature encourages anti-gay proponents to emphasize that gay rights are “spe- cial rights” and not the same as “legitimate” civil rights, with its more “universalist” push for racial equality. 1 CHAPTER 5 Fight Against the “Special Rights” Movement and End the Mis-education of Black Children: Support School Vouchers! © The Author(s) 2018 L. G. Prisock, African Americans in Conservative Movements, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-89351-8_5