Beto O’Rourke, first to reject invitation from right wing religious group

Pete Buttigieg has joined Beto O’Rourke and Cory Booker on the growing list of Democratic presidential candidates who have turned down invitations from right wing religious group The Family Leader to speak at their September 2019 summit in Iowa. Booker released a statement explaining his rejection of the invitation:

I welcome any opportunity to talk about how faith guides me, but I cannot—in good conscience—attend an event put on by an organization that preaches bigotry and sows hate against the LGBTQ community. That's why I am declining an invitation to the Family Leader's July 12 summit.

— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) April 29, 2019

The Family Leader describes its mission as:

Strengthen families, by inspiring Christ-like leadership in the home, the church, and the government.

More specifically, the group states that it attempts to:

Protect and defend family values by influencing public policy, campaigns, and elections.