National Mall, Washington DC, USASaturday, October 12, 2024
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In the weeks leading up to the 2024 presidential election, a group of Christian women are gathering at the National Mall in Washington DC. This event, organized by Jenny Donnelly, a former multilevel marketing professional turned Christian leader, aims to rally mothers concerned about changing gender norms in America. The event is billed under the hashtag #DontMessWithOurKids and will see women standing under pink and blue banners, praying and fasting to uphold what they believe is God's authority over the election and the nation's leadership.
Donnelly is not alone in her efforts. The rally is part of a series of Christian nationalist gatherings, collaboratively organized by several far-right Christian leaders associated with the New Apostolic Reformation. This movement seeks long-term Christian dominion over government and society, with a more immediate goal of getting former President Donald Trump reelected.
One of the key figures in this push is Lou Engle, a right-wing pastor known for his anti-LGBTQ+ stance and mass prayer rallies. Engle has compared the anti-LGBTQ+ movement to the secessionist south during the American civil war, calling on opponents to emulate Confederate general Robert E Lee.
Donnelly's vision involves a crowd of mothers descending on the Capitol, a call she says she received during the Covid-19 lockdowns and Black Lives Matter protests. She has since founded Her Voice Movement Action, organizing women into decentralized prayer hubs that also function as political mobilization tools.
This model echoes Donnelly's past in the multilevel marketing company AdvoCare, which was later found to be an illegal pyramid scheme. Her Voice Movement Action aims to pass along a message to other Christian women, similar to the movement that started in Peru under the same hashtag, #DontMessWithOurKids.
In Peru, the movement gained traction during a conservative backlash against the government's efforts to introduce themes of gender equality and LGBTQ+ inclusion in schools. The movement has since evolved into an electoral strategy to elect ultraconservative lawmakers, resulting in the passage of socially conservative laws, including one classifying transgender identities as mental illnesses.
Donnelly has consulted with Christian Rosas, the strategist behind the Peruvian movement, to adapt his strategies for the US. Both movements claim to be grassroots but have been linked to larger organizations.
Elizabeth Salazar Vega, a reporter covering gender and politics in Peru, notes that the scenario in the US is similar to Peru's, with the potential for these voices to rapidly escalate. Other Christian nationalist pastors, like Sean Feucht, are also planning similar marches in DC.
