Sheldon, who had an endless appetite for confrontation and TV-ready sound bites, founded the Traditional Values Coalition in 1980 and wielded considerable influence over conservative voters and lawmakers for years. Sheldon always used the term “homosexual,” never “gay,” and maintained that homosexuality was a learned behavior, a lifestyle choice. ADBy 2008, his Traditional Values Coalition was called an anti-LGBTQ hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors extremist organizations. Sheldon was a church pastor in Anaheim until 1980, when he devoted himself full time to the Traditional Values Coalition. — became president of the Traditional Values Coalition.

Source: Washington Post June 06, 2020 22:26 UTC