Young Americans for Liberty (YAL) is a libertarian conservative student activism organization headquartered in Austin, Texas. Formed in 2008 in the aftermath of the Ron Paul 2008 presidential campaign, YAL establishes chapters on high school and college campuses across the United States, for the purpose of "advancing liberty on campus and in American electoral politics."[1]
YAL is active on nearly 400 college and university campuses, representing thousands of students.[2][3]
History
YAL was founded in 2008 at the end of Congressman Ron Paul's first presidential campaign. Paul's candidacy inspired students to organize on-campus under the banner of Students for Ron Paul. After the 2008 presidential election in November, the movement continued, soon becoming Young Americans for Liberty.[4][5]
On May 23, 2019, YAL announced it would be moving its headquarters to Austin from Arlington, Virginia, saying that the group "doesn't belong" in Washington, D.C. due to its "toxic environment," and that it was a "rapidly growing organization" that needed more space in its headquarters.[6]
In January 2021, YAL removed its president, Cliff Maloney, for serious allegations of sexual misconduct towards YAL employees.[7]
In May 2021, Lauren Daugherty became YAL's new executive director.[8] Former Maine State SenatorEric Brakey assumed the role of senior spokesperson, while Sean Themea became YAL's chief of staff.[9][10][11]
Activities
YAL activists at the University of California, Los Angeles (2018)
In March 2011, 78 YAL chapters across 32 states organized a student protest of the national debt. Each chapter constructed a 40-foot debt clock and placed it in the middle of their campus.[12][13][14]
In April 2014, two YAL students at the University of Hawaii filed a federal lawsuit after they were prevented from handing out copies of the US Constitution.[15]
During the mid-2010s and early 2020s, YAL faced several controversies. In 2016, an internal post advising chapters not to host Milo Yinnopoulos led to disputes within YAL and external criticism over the organization's position and association with Yinnopoulos.[20][21] In 2018, the Iowa State chapter invited white nationalist Nick Fuentes to speak.[22] Reporting also identified several YAL members who were also members of the white-nationalist group Identity Evropa.[23][24] In 2021, sexual-misconduct allegations resulted in the firing of YAL president Cliff Maloney, who was later acquitted and had related charges dismissed.[25][26]
In September 2016, three YAL students passed out pocket constitutions on a public walkway at Kellogg Community College (KCC) in Battle Creek, Michigan.[27] The students were approached by Drew Hutchinson, the school's Manager of Student Life, and told to shut down the event on grounds that it violated the school's "speech permit policy."[27] After refusing to do so, the students were arrested by campus police and jailed for over seven hours.[28]
YAL and the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) subsequently filed suit.[29] Meanwhile, KCC's speech restrictions remained in place until August 2017, when the school was ordered to pay $55,000 in damages and attorney's fees.[27] Additionally, the school agreed to adopt a new Freedom of Expression policy, "[making] it clear that any individual or group can engage in non-commercial expressive activities, including speeches, demonstrations, vigils, and the distribution of informational materials, in common areas on the campus during periods that the College facilities are open to the general public."[27]
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, YAL has pushed back against government mandates that "[infringe] on civil liberties."[30] The organization's Hazlitt Coalition, a network of 178 legislators from 37 states, introduced dozens of bills opposing proof-of-vaccination requirements.[30] According to Themea, "The idea of having to carry around your health papers to go to the grocery store is something out of an Orwell novel."[30]
In May 2021, YAL helped organize a protest against the COVID-19 vaccine requirement at Rutgers University.[31] Organized by Rutgers junior and YAL state chair Sara Razi, the protest brought together hundreds of "medical freedom activists."[32][33] The Rutgers protest was covered by CNBC, Forbes, The Guardian, and other news outlets.[34][35][36] That same month, YAL and the ADF threatened legal action against Skidmore College after a YAL chapter was not approved on campus for political reasons.[37][38] Skidmore student Hannah Davis claimed to be the victim of a "cancel culture campaign", which led YAL and the ADF to accuse Skidmore of violating consumer protection law.[39][40]
In total, YAL has fought COVID-19 vaccine and mask mandates on 23 college campuses, such as Rutgers, Virginia Tech University, and the University of Colorado Boulder.[41][42] YAL has circulated petitions opposing COVID-related rules on different campuses, such as Virginia Tech.[42] According to the YAL, the organization "is not anti-vaccine, but rather anti-vaccine mandate at taxpayer-funded academic institutions."[41] Several students affiliated with YAL have spoken to the mainstream media, arguing for vaccination as a "personal choice."[43][44]
YAL is an outspoken critic of gun-control legislation, such as "red flag" laws proposed by President Biden and other Democrats.[45][46] The organization also opposes "Critical race theory" education at public schools.[47] YAL is active on social media, often attacking Democratic Party officials.[48] The organization also publishes a quarterly magazine called "The American Revolution."[49]
Operation Win at the Door
In 2018, YAL launched Operation Win at the Door.[50][51] Maloney claimed that the project's goal would be to "build the bench" by electing 250 state legislators by the end of 2022.[52]
YAL's "Hazlitt Coalition," a network of libertarian state legislators around the country, oversaw more than 170 members from nearly 40 states in 2021. The coalition filed 25 bills defending people's rights against COVID-19 protocols.[53][54]
As of November 2022, there are more than 300 Hazlitt members in the coalition, many of them under the age of 40.[55] The Hazlitt Coalition doubled in size between 2021 and 2022.[56] One of the coalition's policy priorities is COVID-19 vaccine choice, in addition to free speech and gun rights, among others.[57][58]
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