The Controversial Rise of Speaker Mike Johnson

Newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, has a history of fighting against gay rights and denouncing homosexuality. Prior to joining Congress, Johnson spent years as an attorney and spokesman for the Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian advocacy group, where he actively worked to limit gay rights, including same-sex marriage and healthcare access. He authored op-eds arguing for criminalizing gay sex and spearheaded a counterprotest against a nationwide Day of Silence aimed at addressing anti-gay bias in schools. Johnson also drafted legislation to restrict LGBTQ content for children. Critics have called him the most anti-equality Speaker in U.S. history.