The Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, best known as a Reaganomics champion, is using anti-LGBTQ+ politics to advance its broader political goals. But that wasn’t always part of its strategy.
Since its founding nearly 50 years ago, MI has influenced conservative policy by crafting model legislation and publishing reports for lawmakers and lobbyists. Some of its longtime goals have included promoting libertarian economic policies, discrediting teachers unions and deregulating healthcare. Funded primarily by conservatives on Wall Street, MI has over $30 million in net assets as of its most recent tax filings.
Prior to the 2020s, efforts to undermine LGBTQ+ rights were not a focus for MI. But since then, it began parroting many of the talking points of the anti-LGBTQ+ movement.
While the shift may seem random, an assessment of MI’s history and strategy reveals how these attacks fit into its broader political goals.
