What to know about this weekend’s Moms for Liberty summit in Philadelphia

Moms for Liberty, the controversial “parental rights” group, is descending on Philadelphia on Thursday for several days of speeches from GOP presidential contenders and sessions about sex education, “gender ideology” and capturing school board seats.

The event is expected to receive national attention, with former president Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis both speaking. And protests are expected.

» READ MORE: Why Trump, DeSantis, and GOP rivals are flocking to the Moms for Liberty convention in Philadelphia

Here’s what to know about the event.

Moms for Liberty, which started in Florida in 2021 in opposition to pandemic measures, is having its second annual summit, in Philadelphia. The group, which claims 285 chapters in 45 states — including in the Philadelphia region — expects 650 to attend the event, which begins Thursday night and ends Sunday. (The event is sold out; tickets started at $249.)

Moms for Liberty has said Pennsylvania represents its second-largest membership base, and that Philadelphia’s history provides a backdrop for its focus on “preserving American values.”

The group has targeted diversity education and how LGBTQ issues are handled by schools — becoming a prominent voice in a conservative movement that has accused public schools of indoctrinating students around race, gender, and sexuality. Members have pushed to ban books they contend are pornographic; critics note that books about LGBTQ people or people of color have been disproportionately targeted by the efforts.

The group has opposed accommodations for transgender students; the description for one panel session at this weekend’s summit begins: “There is no such thing as a transgender child.”

» READ MORE: Why Moms for Liberty was designated an ‘extremist’ group by the Southern Poverty Law Center

The Southern Poverty Law Center recently designated Moms for Liberty an “antigovernment extremist” group, saying its views are “conspiracy propagandist.” Some chapters have been linked to groups like the Proud Boys. Earlier this month, an Indiana chapter apologized for quoting Adolf Hitler (”He alone who OWNS the youth, gains the future”) in its newsletter.

Top GOP presidential contenders will be addressing attendees Friday inside the downtown Marriott, where most of the summit will be held. DeSantis will headline the morning, followed by former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley midday.

Trump is expected to speak around 4 p.m., joined by Florida Congressman Byron Donalds. (Another GOP presidential candidate, entrepreneur and “anti-woke” activist Vivek Ramaswamy, is scheduled to speak Saturday.)

Others speaking over the course of the weekend include Jaimee Michell, head of Gays Against Groomers — a term that has been used to falsely accuse LGBTQ people of preying on children; North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, a GOP candidate for governor who has said “there’s no reason anybody anywhere in America should be telling any child about transgenderism, homosexuality, any of that filth”; and Chris Elston, an activist who goes by “Billboard Chris,” who travels wearing a billboard that reads, “Children cannot consent to puberty blockers.”

» READ MORE: More groups of historians denounce Moms for Liberty event at Museum of the American Revolution

The summit also includes numerous panel discussions, with sessions led by the conservative Leadership Institute on how to run winning school board campaigns. Moms for Liberty says it’s hoping to play a bigger role in school board races nationally, although it posted a losing record in Wisconsin school board races earlier this year.

Among other panel topics: whether comprehensive sex education is sexualizing children, how foundations and foreign governments “are bringing radical content into our schools,” and George Washington’s leadership.

The event isn’t limited to the Marriott. A welcome reception Thursday night at the Museum of the American Revolution will feature the president of WallBuilders, a Texas organization “dedicated to presenting America’s forgotten history and heroes” whose leaders have argued against the separation of church and state.

Museum staffers have demanded that leadership cancel Thursday’s welcome reception, saying in a petition that “we do not feel that any dollar amount is worth endangering the safety of the museum staff members in the building on the day of the event, serving as a host to a group that does not stand with our values, and damaging the museum’s reputation that we have all worked so hard to build.”

Museum leaders — who have said staff don’t have to work Thursday night if they feel unsafe — have defended their hosting of the event, saying their aim is “to share diverse and inclusive stories about our nation’s history with the broadest audience possible.” But they have continued to receive pushback, with numerous historian groups denouncing the decision.

Numerous liberal advocacy groups are planning to protest starting Thursday afternoon outside the Marriott. Among those announcing protests, including by handing out banned books: Campaign for Our Shared Future, People for the American Way’s Grandparents for Truth, and the AIDS activist group ACT UP Philadelphia, and the Young Communist League.

The latter two groups have announced a “Stop Moms for Hate” dance party protest, starting outside the Museum of the American Revolution Thursday night and resuming outside the Marriott Friday morning.

Moms for Liberty says it will have “an extensive private security team on-site at all times,” and has instructed attendees not to engage with protesters. (A “Safety Tips” section on the event website includes a link to information about Pennsylvania’s concealed carry reciprocity agreements.)