EXECUTIONAL GUIDELINES
C. LEXICON
“As I’ve said any number of times over the years, once you lose the language battle, the substantive policy defeat is sure to follow.”
Andrew C. McCarthy, Contributing Editor, National Review
Words reflect meaning and can improperly or properly communicate ideas and facts. Thus, the following language guidelines are to
be used in Alliance Defending Freedom communications. In all instances, do not use highly pejorative adjectives regarding those who
oppose us, do not single out individuals as the opposition—instead refer to the organization or the administration. The only exceptions
are for direct, documented quotes from third parties, which then should not be altered unless noted or when deviation from the norm is
determined to be in the best interest of a legal client (for major exceptions, consult with the CEO/General Counsel).
Guidelines are listed by topic (Organization, Religious Liberty, the Sanctity of Life, Marriage and Family) in alphabetical order.

Organization
USE:
DON’T USE:

ACLU and its allies
ACLU (unless they are acting alone)

USE:
DON’T USE:

Alliance Defending Freedom
ADF (do not use the acronym at this time)

Note: When introducing our new name, it is important to use the full name so that our target audiences intuitively and consistently
recall Alliance Defending Freedom as the name of our organization.

USE:
DON’T USE:

Alliance Defending Freedom
The Alliance Defending Freedom

Note: In order to strengthen the impact of the brand name, articles generally do not precede the name of a brand; for example,
Apple is “Apple” not “the Apple,” Barnes & Noble is “Barnes & Noble” not “the Barnes & Noble.”

USE:
DON’T USE:

Alliance Defending Freedom
Alliance Defending Freedom’s (no use of possessive)

USE:
DON’T USE:

Alliance Defending Freedom and its allies
Alliance Defending Freedom (unless we are acting alone)

USE:
DON’T USE:

Alliance Defending Freedom-backed (for organizational funded cases)
Alliance Defending Freedom-funded

Note: Alliance Defending Freedom funding takes on many different aspects. For example, Alliance Defending Freedom may not
directly fund a case, but does fund a moot court training session for an attorney who is going to argue the case. So it is a misnomer
to say that Alliance Defending Freedom funded a case, because we did not fund all aspects of it.

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 EXECUTIONAL GUIDELINES
USE:
DON’T USE:

Alliance Defending Freedom was launched in 1994
Alliance Defending Freedom was founded in 1993
Alliance Defending Freedom was founded in 1994

Note: January 31, 1994, was the first day Alliance Defending Freedom opened its doors publicly for business. The conference call
that led to the founding of Alliance Defending Freedom occurred in 1993. But January 31, 1994, is really the “birthday” of Alliance
Defending Freedom.

USE:
DON’T USE:

Attorneys General (for multiple persons in that office)
Attorney Generals

USE:
DON’T USE:

Blackstone interns or Blackstone graduates (as a blanket term)
Blackstone Fellows or Blackstoners

Note: Not all Blackstone interns eventually become fellows. “Fellows” can be used if someone has been awarded that status, but
it cannot be used as a blanket term to describe all who participate in the summer program. Additionally, there is no such thing as a
“Former” Blackstone Fellow.

USE:
DON’T USE:

Blackstone leadership development program
Blackstone program

USE:
DON’T USE:

faith promise, faith commitment
pledge

Note: Alliance Defending Freedom Co-founder Larry Burkett mandated that Alliance Defending Freedom never use the term
“pledge” in any allied Ministry Friend communications. Larry saw “pledge” as making a vow that you may not be able to keep, but a
“faith promise” as relying on the Lord to be able to provide the funds to give.

USE:
DON’T USE:

keep the door open for the spread of the Gospel
keep the legal door open for the spread of the Gospel

Note: Important to remain true to Alliance Defending Freedom history by keeping this phrase as originally spoken by Bill Bright.
While we will not add the word “legal” to the phrase, we continue to reinforce that we are working in the legal arena in the context
of the rest of the communication.

USE:
DON’T USE:

“legal ministry” or “alliance-building legal ministry” to describe Alliance Defending Freedom
“legal alliance” to describe Alliance Defending Freedom

Note: “legal alliance” or “the alliance” can be used when referring to Alliance Defending Freedom working with its allies (allied
Ministry Friends, allied attorneys, allied partners, etc.).

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USE:
DON’T USE:

Allied Ministry Friend Education Letter
acquisition letter

Note: The major purpose of all Alliance Defending Freedom communications is to educate the Body of Christ on the battle and call
them to act—what’s working, what’s not, what needs to be done, and what needs prayer.

USE:
DON’T USE:

Allied Ministry Friends
Donors

USE:
DON’T USE:

opposition
enemy

USE:
DON’T USE:

the name of the organization or the administration (when referring to the opposition)
do not refer to a personal name or the last name of a person as profanity or obscenity

USE:
DON’T USE:

Prayer and Information Letter
Appeal Letter OR Fundraising Letter

Note: The major purpose of all Alliance Defending Freedom communications is to educate the Body of Christ on the battle and call
them to pray and to act—what’s working, what’s not, what needs to be done, and what needs prayer.

USE:
DON’T USE:

team members (for those on the payroll)
employees

Note: We are part of a team.

USE:
“This is…,” “That is…,” “They are…,” etc. (see Note below)
DON’T USE: Do not use “I believe...,” “I think...,” “It’s my opinion...,” etc. However, depending on the context of the communication,
these phrases may be appropriately but very sparingly used.
Note: Per Alan, something is either correct or incorrect, but usually we “think” is nothing more than an “opinion.” In this battle
we are fighting, we do not want to reduce the stakes/situation/issue down to whose “opinion” wins. We are not relativists, but
Christians.

USE:
DON’T USE:

Title, Team Leader (or similar)
Boss

Note: Alan says we are co-laborers in the vineyard, and brothers and sisters in Christ; “ladies and gentlemen serving ladies
and gentlemen.”

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USE:
DON’T USE:

U.S. Court of Appeals for the ____ Circuit
____ U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, ____ Circuit Court

Religious Liberty
USE:
DON’T USE:

Christmas
X-mas, holiday season, winter holiday/break

USE:
DON’T USE:

defending biblical, religious principles, convictions
bigotry, anti-tolerance

USE:
DON’T USE:

equality of opportunity
equality

Note: “Where equality is enthroned, freedom is extinguished. The rise of the egalitarian society means the death of the free
society.” Patrick Buchanan [Suicide of a Superpower: Will America Survive to 2025?]

USE:
DON’T USE:

“hate” crimes, so-called “hate” crimes
hate crimes

Note: We put quotes around “hate” because all crimes are motivated by hate of some kind; there are no “love” crimes.

USE:
DON’T USE:

Rights protected by the Constitution, Rights guaranteed by the Constitution,
First Amendment protected rights, constitutionally protected rights.
First amendment rights, constitutional rights

USE:
DON’T USE:

science
antievolution, antiscience, creationism

Note: In Alliance Defending Freedom communications, we do not want to add a qualifier to “science” such as “Creation science.”
Adding a qualifier suggests that there are many types of science about the foundations of our existence.

USE:
DON’T USE:

sexual indoctrination programs
sexual education programs, health education

USE:
DON’T USE:

troubled/religious theory of evolution
fact of evolution, scientific theory of evolution

The Sanctity of Life
USE:
DON’T USE:

abortion advocates, proponents of the culture of death, etc.
pro-choice

USE:

abortion, killing of the innocent, committing abortions

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 EXECUTIONAL GUIDELINES
DON’T USE:

termination of pregnancy, abortion procedure, performing abortions

Note: “Procedure” is a medical euphemism.

USE:
DON’T USE:

abortion-inducing drug, morning-after abortion pill
emergency contraception, birth control, morning-after pill

USE:
DON’T USE:

abortionist, abortion facility, commit an abortion
health clinic, family-planning center, women’s center, do an abortion

USE:
DON’T USE:

killing the defenseless, premeditated murder of the helpless
mercy killing, euthanasia, right to die, pulling the plug, compassion

USE:
DON’T USE:

preborn child
unborn child, fetus, unwanted pregnancy

USE:
DON’T USE:

pro-abstinence, pro-purity/responsibility
anti-contraception, unrealistic expectations

USE:
DON’T USE:

pro-life, pro-family, pro-children
antiabortion, anti-reproductive rights

USE:
DON’T USE:

pro-life advocates, defenders of life
pro-life protesters, antiabortion protesters, pro-lifers

Note: Describe those wanting to save lives in a positive way.

USE:
DON’T USE:

protect human life
restrict abortion

USE:
DON’T USE:

women considering abortion, women struggling with abortion
women exercising their reproductive rights

USE:
DON’T USE:

women who’ve experienced abortion, women struggling with abortion
women who’ve exercised their freedom of choice

Marriage and Family
USE:
DON’T USE:

adultery, infidelity, fornication
extramarital relationship, affair, liaison

USE:
DON’T USE:

advocating/promoting promiscuity/immorality
sex education, safe sex, responsible sex

USE:
DON’T USE:

anti-marriage, opponents of marriage
pro-marriage rights, gay marriage advocates

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 EXECUTIONAL GUIDELINES
USE:
DON’T USE:

advocates of homosexual behavior, homosexual behavior advocates
homosexual or gay activists

USE:
DON’T USE:

biological sex in reference to he/she
“changed” sex in reference to he/she

USE:
DON’T USE:

convictions against homosexual behavior
homophobia, antigay bias, intolerance

USE:
DON’T USE:

cross-dressing, sexually confused
transgender

USE:
DON’T USE:

demands of/by the homosexual legal agenda, demands of/by advocates of homosexual behavior, special privileges
homosexual/gay rights, hate-crimes legislation, antidiscrimination laws

Note: According to Alan, “The goals and the agenda of advocates of homosexual behavior are not ‘rights,’ but ‘demands.’”

USE:
DON’T USE:

homosexual agenda
lesbian and gay civil rights movement

USE:
DON’T USE:

homosexual behavior
homosexuality or gay

Note: Homosexuality is a personal struggle; however, homosexual behavior is sinful. Alan adds, “It isn’t a condition.”

USE:
DON’T USE:

homosexual behavior
gay

Note: The word “gay” was conceived by advocates of homosexual behavior to de-stigmatize their behavior and advance their
agenda.

USE:
DON’T USE:

homosexual behavior
homosexual lifestyle

Note: Alan notes that it’s not a “lifestyle”—tragically, it’s a way that often leads to death (Proverbs 14:12).

USE:
DON’T USE:

marriage and family
traditional marriage OR traditional marriage and the family

Note: Using the word “traditional” reinforces the notion—by some—that there are many types of marriage and lends credibility
that marriage could be something besides “one man / one woman.”

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 EXECUTIONAL GUIDELINES
USE:
DON’T USE:

panderers of pornography
pornography industry

USE:
DON’T USE:

pedophile, child predator, child molester
adult attracted to children

USE:
DON’T USE:

pornography
adult literature, literature for mature audiences

USE:
DON’T USE:

protect families, protect communities
restrict pornography, censor pornography

Note: Protecting children, families, and communities against the scourge of pornography is not censorship.

USE:
DON’T USE:

same-sex “marriage,” marriage imitation
gay marriage or homosexual marriage

Note: According to Alan, “It isn’t marriage.”

USE:
DON’T USE:

sexual-identity confusion / sexual confusion
gender / gender identity confusion

USE:
DON’T USE:

sexual preference/choice
sexual orientation, genetic predisposition, gay gene

USE:
DON’T USE:

sexually mutilated male/female, self-proclaimed male/female, biological male/female
intersex person/male/female

USE:
DON’T USE:

sexually oriented businesses (SOBs)
adult businesses

Note: “Adult” was a term that pornographers fabricated to try to de-stigmatize hard-core pornography. We do not want to adapt
to their lexicon. For media interviews, generally do not use the acronym “SOBs.” Simply say, “sexually oriented businesses,” or you
may get more media coverage than you want!

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