David Caton (born January 3, 1956) is an American political activist and writer. He is founder, president and sole employee of the Tampa-based hate group Florida Family Association campaigning against
homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or Human sexual activity, sexual behavior between people of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexu ...
Caton is the author of ''Overcoming the Addiction to Pornography'' (published by Accord Books in 1990), a book based partly on his own experiences. He told an American Family Association conference in 1990 that he had previously been addicted to pornography.Bill Dedman, "Bible Belt Blowhard", ''Mother Jones'', November–December 1992
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prizes () are 23 annual awards given by Columbia University in New York City for achievements in the United States in "journalism, arts and letters". They were established in 1917 by the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made his fo ...
–winning-journalist
Bill Dedman
Bill Dedman is an American investigative reporter and author. He is best known for ''The Color of Money'', his 1988 investigation of redlining of middle-income black neighborhoods by banks and other mortgage lenders. Dedman received the 1989 Pu ...
wrote in a 1992 article that Caton had "been hooked for years on liquor, marijuana, cocaine,
Quaaludes
Methaqualone is a hypnotic sedative. It was sold under the brand names Quaalude ( ) and Sopor among others, which contained 300 mg of methaqualone, and sold as a combination drug under the brand name Mandrax, which contained 250 mg ...
,
Ativan
Lorazepam, sold under the brand name Ativan, Tavor among others, is a benzodiazepine medication. It is used to treat anxiety (including anxiety disorders), insomnia, Psychomotor agitation, severe agitation, active seizures including status ...
, and masturbation."
The
American Family Association
The American Family Association (AFA) is a conservative and Christian fundamentalist 501(c)(3) organization based in the United States.
Florida Family Association
Caton founded the Florida Family Association (FFA) in 1997. The FFA website states that the goal of the organization is "defending American values and improving America's moral environment. The FFA is an independent non-profit organization and is not affiliated with the American Family Association.Samuel G. Freedman "Waging a One-Man War on American Muslims" , ''The New York Times'', 16 December 2011 In 2013, ''The New York Times'' noted FFA was a one-man
Christian fundamentalist
Christian fundamentalism, also known as fundamental Christianity or fundamentalist Christianity, is a religious movement emphasizing biblical literalism. In its modern form, it began in the late 19th and early 20th centuries among British an ...
organization.
The FFA is classified as a "general hate group" by the
Southern Poverty Law Center
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal advocacy organization specializing in civil rights and public interest litigation. Based in Montgomery, Alabama, it is known for its legal cases against white ...
.
American Way Foundation President, Michael Keegan, told the ''USA Today'', "The Florida Family Association presents itself as an army ready to strike at companies that won't cater to its extremist views. In reality, the 'group' is just one very angry man – David Caton – and his computer." In a ''
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' article titled "Waging a One-Man War on American Muslims,"
Center for American Progress
The Center for American Progress (CAP) is a public policy think tank, research and advocacy organization which presents a Modern liberalism in the United States, liberal viewpoint on Economic policy, economic and social issues. CAP is headquarter ...
writer Wajahat Ali shared similar sentiment to Keegan, describing the FFA by saying, "It's literally one dude with a poorly made Web site one fringe individual with an e-mail list."
Federal tax records show Caton as the only employee of the FFA and that it is not affiliated with any national organization.
Gay rights opposition
In 1998, Caton orchestrated a protest of a high school support group called the Gay Straight Alliance, a club for gay students being harassed. The protest had an unintended effect and only strengthened the club, according to Principal Barbara Thornton who told ''The New York Times'', "We found it a good thing he brought the issue out. It ended up with the student population at large supporting the Gay Straight Alliance because of the attacks from outside."
Caton has been heavily involved in the political process in local Florida governments on homosexual issues. In 1998, he led an unsuccessful campaign to repeal a gay rights law in
Miami, Florida
Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...
. He presented a case before the Human Relations Board in
Orlando, Florida
Orlando ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Orange County, Florida, United States. The city proper had a population of 307,573 at the 2020 census, making it the fourth-most populous city in Florida behind Jacksonville, Florida, Jacksonville ...
in April 2002 speaking against an ordinance that would provide job and housing protection to gays. In October 2002, Caton opposed an amendment in
Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota () is a city in and the county seat of Sarasota County, Florida, United States. It is located in Southwest Florida, the southern end of the Tampa Bay area, and north of Fort Myers, Florida, Fort Myers and Punta Gorda, Florida, Punta Gord ...
that would prohibit discrimination in "housing, employment or public accommodations based on age, disability, gender, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation or veterans status." Caton then opposed an anti-bullying bill in 2007 that would ban bullying based on a student's sexual orientation.
When Florida's ban on gay adoption was ruled
unconstitutional
In constitutional law, constitutionality is said to be the condition of acting in accordance with an applicable constitution; "Webster On Line" the status of a law, a procedure, or an act's accordance with the laws or set forth in the applic ...
in September 2008, Caton said it was due to "a rogue judge." Later in 2008, Caton spoke against the passage of a human rights ordinance in
Pinellas County
Pinellas County (, ) is located on the west central coast of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 959,107, making it the seventh-most populous county in the state. It is also the most d ...
that expanded protection to gays, lesbians and bisexuals. The following year, Caton also opposed an ordinance by the
Tampa City Council
The Tampa City Council is the legislative body of the municipal government of the U.S. city of Tampa, in Hillsborough County, Florida. The City Council consists of seven members, each representing one of seven corresponding districts from which ...
that would protect
transgender people
A transgender (often shortened to trans) person has a gender identity different from that typically associated with the sex they were assigned at birth.
The opposite of ''transgender'' is ''cisgender'', which describes persons whose gender ...
from discrimination. He has also similarly fought
domestic partnership
A domestic partnership is an intimate relationship between people, usually couples, who live together and share a common domestic life but who are not married (to each other or to anyone else). People in domestic partnerships receive legal be ...
benefits.
Despite the FFA claiming as an accomplishment that they caused
MTV
MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
to cancel " A Shot at Love" in 2008 for being a bisexual dating competition, the network ran a third season titled "
A Double Shot at Love
''A Double Shot at Love with the Ikki Twins'', also referred to simply as ''A Double Shot at Love'', is an American reality television dating game show that first aired weekly on MTV from December 9, 2008 to February 3, 2009. It is a spin-off o ...
" with the same premise.
Similarly, in 2010, the FFA claimed victory in
Kodak
The Eastman Kodak Company, referred to simply as Kodak (), is an American public company that produces various products related to its historic basis in film photography. The company is headquartered in Rochester, New York, and is incorporated i ...
pulling advertising from the television series '' Degrassi: The Next Generation'' alleging that it "targets teens with gay propaganda and other immoral behavior"; but Kodak said in a statement their ads were stopped as part of a "planned pause" and were expected to continue the following week.
The FFA has flown airplane banners over
Disney World
The Walt Disney World Resort is an entertainment resort complex located about southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States. Opened on October 1, 1971, the resort is operated by Disney Experiences, a division of the Walt Disney Company. ...
that read "WARNING GAY DAY AT DISNEY" during the annual "Gay Day" which is not officially sanctioned by Disney. The group also campaigned against the
DoubleTree
DoubleTree by Hilton is an American hotel chain managed by Hilton Worldwide. DoubleTree has been the fastest growing Hilton brand by number of properties since 2007, and by number of rooms from 2007 to 2015. , it has 587 properties with 135,745 ...
by Hilton for accommodating homosexual guests.
In July 2012, Caton called on
Office Depot
The ODP Corporation is an American office supply retailer headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida. The company operates 922 retail stores in the United States under the Office Depot and OfficeMax brands, as well as e-commerce sites and a business ...
to stop donating "bravery bracelets" with messages such as "Be Amazing" and "Be Yourself" to recording artist
Lady Gaga
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her image reinventions and versatility across the entertainment industry, she is an influ ...
's Born This Way Foundation. In January 2013, before Lady Gaga began her "Born This Way" tour in the United States, the FFA had a banner flown by airplane over the pre-concert tailgate that read, "NOT BORN THIS WAY."
All-American Muslim
In 2011, Caton began a protest of the TLC show '' All-American Muslim'', a reality show that follows five
Muslim
Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
families in
Dearborn, Michigan
Dearborn is a city in Wayne County, Michigan, Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. An inner-ring Metro Detroit, suburb of Detroit, Dearborn borders Detroit to the south and west, roughly west of downtown Detroit. In the 2020 United States ...
. The FFA said that the show was propaganda, and a front for an Islamic takeover of America.
Caton e-mailed companies advertising during the show pressuring them to drop their advertising.
Lowe's
Lowe's Companies, Inc. ( ) is an American retail company specializing in home improvement. Headquartered in Mooresville, North Carolina, the company operates a chain of retail stores in the United States. As of October 28, 2022, Lowe's and i ...
pulled their advertising, admitting that they did so partly in reaction to Caton's campaign. But Lowe's Vice President Tom Lamb later said, "The decision was absolutely not, despite what's been reported in the media, influenced by any one group."
As a result of pulling their ads, Lowe's received nationwide protests and publicly apologized, adding that Lowe's has "a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion."
Despite the withdrawal of Lowe's, ''All-American Muslim'' sold out all of their advertising time.
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
Democratic State Senator
Ted Lieu
Ted Win-Ping Lieu ( ; born March 29, 1969) is an American lawyer and politician. He is a member of the Democratic Party and has represented California's 36th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives since 2023. He re ...
told the Associated Press, "The show is about what it's like to be a Muslim in America, and it touches on the discrimination they sometimes face. And that kind of discrimination is exactly what's happening here at Lowe's." Lieu also wrote to Lowe's CEO
Robert Niblock
Robert Alan Niblock was the chairman, president and CEO of Lowe's. He retired on July 2, 2018.
Early life and education
Niblock is the youngest of four children and the first person in his immediate family to attend college. He worked to pay his ...
calling their action "bigoted, shameful and un-American."
Amidst the controversy, the FFA website was shut down after being hacked by
Anonymous
Anonymous may refer to:
* Anonymity, the state of an individual's identity, or personally identifiable information, being publicly unknown
** Anonymous work, a work of art or literature that has an unnamed or unknown creator or author
* Anonym ...
.
In an interview with CNN, Rep.
Keith Ellison
Keith Maurice Ellison (born August 4, 1963) is an American politician and lawyer serving since 2019 as the 30th attorney general of Minnesota. A member of the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), Ellison was the U.S. representative for fr ...
, a Democrat from
Minnesota
Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
, said Caton displays "a startling lack of information about Islam."
Caton said he and the FFA campaign also caused
Home Depot
The Home Depot, Inc., often referred to as Home Depot, is an American multinational corporation, multinational home improvement retail corporation that sells tools, construction products, appliances, and services, including fuel and transportat ...
to pull ads from the show, but Home Depot said it was never a sponsor for the show. Additionally, Caton also claimed
Campbell's Soup
The Campbell's Company (doing business as Campbell's and formerly known as the Campbell Soup Company) is an American company, most closely associated with its flagship canned soup products. The classic red-and-white can design used by many Campb ...
had pulled their ads, but the company continued running them in future episodes.
In a 2012 article, the
Tampa Bay Times
The ''Tampa Bay Times'', called the ''St. Petersburg Times'' until 2011, is an American newspaper published in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. It is published by the Times Publishing Company, which is owned by The Poynter Institute ...
Editorial Board described Caton as a "one-man force of anti-Muslim bigotry." Pulitzer Prize–winning columnist Daniel Ruth described Caton as a "plague of boils on the community's spiritual life."
Other positions
In the 1980s Caton campaigned against convenience stores in Florida that sold pornography.
Caton called for an anti-nudity ordinance in 2003, declaring that the number of rapes and domestic violence cases are due to Hillsborough County's tolerance for strip clubs.
Caton has called on schools to stop visits from the
Council on American-Islamic Relations
A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or nation ...
, a group that sends speakers to discuss stereotypes, human rights and women in Islam.
After Rev. Joel Hunter spoke out against intolerance against Muslims, Scott Maxwell of the
Orlando Sentinel
The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is the primary newspaper of Orlando, Florida, and the Central Florida region, in the United States. It was founded in 1876 and is currently owned by Tribune Publishing Company.
The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is owned by pare ...
said in April 2013 that the FFA was among the groups targeting Hunter with angry and threatening emails.