Christian Free Speech is under attack in Ohio
A Message from Char Bonsignore, Senior Advancement Director
Right now, LGBT activists in Ohio are trying to cancel CCV from speaking at the City Club of Cleveland because we believe the truths the Church has taught for more than 2,000 years.
We will not be intimidated. We will not be silenced. Friday, January 16, will be a date that proves Christians in Ohio are not afraid to be bold for our faith!
The Story
Four weeks ago, the City Club of Cleveland announced CCV President Aaron Baer would be speaking in January on Faith, Policy, and Influence.
And almost immediately, extreme leftists launched the same playbook they always use to try to take us down:
Caving to their demands, the event organizers added two lines to Aaron's bio:
The organization is not without controversy, however. In 2015 and again in 2023, the Southern Poverty Law Center designated CCV as a hate group because of its stance and rhetoric toward members of the LGBT community.
The Southern Poverty Law Center is nothing more than an activist organization with a long track record of political targeting.
Reality is no government, law-enforcement agency, or regulatory body has ever identified CCV as a hate group. This label is nothing more than a tactic meant to intimidate Christians and push biblical voices out of public life.
But defamation wasn't enough for these activists. So they’re also circulating a petition to try to remove Aaron entirely—or at minimum, force the City Club to bring in a pro-LGBT speaker to make it a "balanced discussion."
But the City Club already hosted Pride, Progress, and Purpose with Phyllis Harris, Executive Director of the LGBT Center of Greater Cleveland, as part of their Local Heroes series just two months ago.
If the activists can’t bully the Club into canceling Aaron, their backup plan is simple: pack the room with disruptors.
This is their way of trying to prove they continue to hold power over Christians and Christian beliefs.
This has become a battle for free speech and for the future of our civic engagement.
So here’s what I’m asking you to do.
1️⃣ Give to CCV today
Your gift ensures we remain in place to defend children, families, and the truth of the Gospel.
2️⃣ Buy a ticket for January 16 and show up
Bring a friend or two with you! We need the room filled with people who care about protecting children and standing for what’s right. RSVP to the City Club of Cleveland here.
3️⃣ Pray
Lift up CCV, Aaron, and all Christians standing for truth in the public square. Pray also for the conversion of these misled activists.
We cannot let activists dictate who gets to speak or who gets silenced. CCV will never, ever back down from speaking the truth, and neither should you.
Never backing down,
Char Bonsignore
Center for Christian Virtue
Senior Advancement Director
PS—Activists are trying to cancel CCV for speaking the truth in the public square. Now, more than ever, we need your support to stand strong. Your tax-deductible donation today will ensure we remain in place to defend the truth of the Gospel.
For more information, contact CCV at 513-733-5775 or contact@ccv.org. For media inquiries, email media@ccv.org.
As Ohio's largest Christian public policy organization, Center for Christian Virtue seeks the good of our neighbors by advocating for public policy that reflects the truth of the Gospel.
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