All 4 Uses of

advocate
in
Do You Speak American?

The U.S. English organization suffered a public-relations disaster in 1988, when Dr. John Tanton, another founder, advocated forced sterilization as a means of population and immigration control.†
Chpt 5 *

advocated = recommended or publicly supported

Baugh sees both sides of this, having felt the pull both ways: "At a young age, then, I received mixed messages about language; some were overt, advocating that I 'speak properly' and avoid 'bad language,' whereas others were more subtle, reflected by the hippest Sisters and Brothers who emphatically rejected 'white speech."
Chpt 6

advocating = recommending

Perhaps worse, it is under attack by some teachers and grammarians who advocate permissiveness far beyond the normal processes by which the language evolves.†
Chpt 3

Advocates of a freer policy say it isn't working, because there is still covert harassment, and discharges for outed homosexuality continue.†
Chpt 7 *

Definitions:

(1) (advocate as in: to advocate)
to recommend or publicly support (someone or something)
(2) (advocate as in: an advocate supporting)
a person who publicly supports and works to advance a cause

or more rarely:

someone acting in the role of a defense lawyer in England's past and in some jurisdictions today
(3) (advocate as in: an advocate in court)
a lawyer or officer of the court in some jurisdictions in Europe, colonial America, and the military
(4) (devil's advocate as in: I'll play the devil's advocate)
a person who takes an unpopular position to encourage debate or test ideas