Family Foundation of Virginia

Last updated
Family Foundation of Virginia
Established1985
FounderWalter Barbee
52-1425355 (EIN)
Key people
Victoria Cobb, President
Budget
Revenue: $1,034,803
Expenses: $959,299
(Tax year 2017) [1]
Website www.familyfoundation.org

Family Foundation of Virginia is a socially conservative and Christian fundamentalist lobbying organization headquartered in the US city of Richmond, Virginia. It was focused originally on opposition to sex education. It has expanded to opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment, nondiscrimination policies, [2] and same-sex marriage. The organization supports legal conversion therapy for minors [3] and increased legal restriction on abortion. [4]

Contents

Family Foundation of Virginia is a Family Policy Council, meaning it is affiliated with Focus on the Family. [5] An associated 501(c)(4) organization, Family Foundation Action, is used for political advertising, which the Family Foundation of Virginia's 501(c)(3) tax status prohibits it from. [6] [7]

The organization sometimes brands itself as The Family Foundation. It is legally distinct from the Family Policy Foundation in Colorado, although both organizations are Focus on the Family affiliates.

History

Founding by Walter Barbee

Family Foundation of Virginia was founded in 1985 by Walter Barbee. [8] Barbee has stated that the roots of the organization go back to a county-level organization he formed in 1982, the Price William County Concerned Citizens Council, to oppose a sex education program for public schools. [9]

In 1988 Barbee was calling his organization Virginia Concerned Citizens Council. Barbee appeared together with Christian author Josh McDowell before the Virginia State Board of Education to argue against Family Life Education, a program that included sex education, and the "myth that teen-agers want to be sexually active." [10]

In 1993 Family Foundation of Virginia advocated against a lesbian mother in a custody dispute, Bottoms v. Bottoms, asking for "child protection based on the mother's sexual behavior." [11] In this dispute, Virginia parent Sharon Bottoms was sued for custody of her son by the son's grandmother, Kay Bottoms, who viewed her daughter as an unfit parent because of her relationship with another woman. Upon learning that the judge, citing Virginia's sodomy law, had taken custody from Sharon Bottoms, Family Foundation spokeswoman Anne Kincaid commended the judge: "it took a lot of courage to draw this line." [12]

Formalizing by Victoria Cobb

Leadership of the organization passed to Victoria Cobb in 2004. A magazine profile of Cobb states that she "spearheaded a formalizing of the group's issue areas — officially they are life, marriage, parental authority, constitutional government and religious liberty". [13]

Family Foundation of Virginia strongly advocated for the 2006 Marshall-Newman Amendment, which added legal prohibition of same-sex marriage to the Constitution of Virginia. Executive director Cobb wrote in support that "most of us believe and understand that traditional marriage is a good thing and that kids need both a mom and a dad." [14] The organization placed phone calls to 2.1 million Virginia households in 2006, asking about gay marriage as a part of a political survey. Larry Sabato, a political scientist at the University of Virginia, called the survey "baloney," believing it was instead an effort to drive voter turnout. [15] The 2006 Amendment would be overturned by federal judge Arenda Wright Allen in 2014. [16] Cobb reacted saying that the state "has no interest in affirming the love of its citizens, but it does have an interest in protecting children." [17]

Cobb criticized a court's 2006 decision to dismiss a felony charge against a pregnant Virginia woman who had used cocaine to ease cramping during labor. She said her organization would investigate criminalizing drug use by pregnant women. [18]

Family Foundation of Virginia opposed a 2006 proposed LGBT employment anti-discrimination law; Cobb described the proposal as "another legislative attempt to force people to believe that homosexuality is as immutable as the color of a person's skin." [19]

In 2007 the organization lobbied for legislation to end no-fault divorce for married couples with children. [20]

In 2012 Family Foundation of Virginia lobbied against the nomination of Tracy Thorne-Begland as a district judge, accusing him of "a violation of the military oath" because he had come out as gay while serving in the Navy during the Don't ask, don't tell policy era. [21] Thorne-Begland's nomination was not confirmed. The gay rights group Equality Virginia issued a statement saying this was the result of pressure by the Family Foundation. [22]

Blocking the ERA

In January of 2019 Virginia was poised to become the 38th state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), which would have caused the amendment to cross the constitutional threshold of the number of state ratifications required of amendments. [23] Family Foundation of Virginia lobbied against the ERA. In an editorial, Victoria Cobb wrote that she was able to "lead an organization, earning the same pay as [her] male colleagues" without the ERA, "a vague amendment promising vague rights." [24]

The 2019 ERA ratification in Virginia failed by one vote. [23] The Washington Post called Cobb "the new Phyllis Schlafly" for her role in defeating the amendment. [25] Delegate Margaret Ransone, who voted against the ERA, spoke at a press conference held by Family Foundation of Virginia; she noted that most of those who had worked to oppose the ERA were women. [26]

Virginia's legislature passed the ERA in 2020. Victoria Cobb said the amendment would "erase the entire notion of gender." [27]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Equal Rights Amendment</span> Proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution

The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is a proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would, if added, explicitly prohibit sex discrimination. It was written by Alice Paul and Crystal Eastman and introduced in Congress in December 1923 as a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution. The purpose of the ERA is to guarantee equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex. Proponents assert it would end legal distinctions between men and women in matters of divorce, property, employment, and other matters. Opponents originally argued it would remove protections that women needed. In the 21st century, opponents argue it is no longer needed and some disapprove of its potential effects on abortion and transgender rights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Same-sex marriage in the United States</span>

The availability of legally recognized same-sex marriage in the United States expanded from one state (Massachusetts) in 2004 to all fifty states in 2015 through various court rulings, state legislation, and direct popular votes. States each have separate marriage laws, which must adhere to rulings by the Supreme Court of the United States that recognize marriage as a fundamental right guaranteed by both the Due Process Clause and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as first established in the 1967 landmark civil rights case of Loving v. Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phyllis Schlafly</span> American activist (1924–2016)

Phyllis Stewart Schlafly was an American attorney, conservative activist, and anti-feminist who was nationally prominent in conservatism. She held paleoconservative social and political views, opposed feminism, gay rights, and abortion, and successfully campaigned against ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Loving v. Virginia, 388 U.S. 1 (1967), was a landmark civil rights decision of the U.S. Supreme Court which ruled that laws banning interracial marriage violate the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Beginning in 2013, the decision was cited as precedent in U.S. federal court decisions ruling that restrictions on same-sex marriage in the United States were unconstitutional, including in the Supreme Court decision Obergefell v. Hodges (2015).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in the United States</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in the United States are among the most advanced in the world, with public opinion and jurisprudence changing significantly since the late 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Family Policy Council</span>

A Family Policy Council (FPC) is one of several US state-level organizations affiliated with Focus on the Family (FotF), a nationwide conservative Christian organization. Family Policy Councils work for policies that FotF describes as "pro-family". These include opposition to same-sex marriage, LGBT adoption, and LGBT workplace protections, and support for abstinence-only sex education, increased legal restrictions on abortion and traditional Christian gender roles. FPCs also work to shape public opinion, organize political demonstrations, and cultivate future politicians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nebraska Initiative 416</span> Referendum banning same-sex marriage

Nebraska Initiative 416 was a 2000 ballot initiative that amended the Nebraska Constitution to make it unconstitutional for the state to recognize or perform same-sex marriage, same-sex civil unions or domestic partnerships. The referendum was approved on November 7, 2000, by 70% of the voters. The initiative has since been struck down in federal court and same-sex marriage is now legally recognized in the state of Nebraska.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 Alabama Amendment 774</span>

The Amendment 774 of 2006, also known as Alabama Sanctity of Marriage Amendment, is an amendment to the Alabama Constitution that makes it unconstitutional for the state to recognize or perform same-sex marriages or civil unions. The legislature passed Alabama Act 2005-35, which placed this amendment on the election ballot. The referendum was approved by 81% of the voters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 Virginia Question 1</span> Amendment to the Constitution of Virginia

2006 Virginia Question 1, the Marshall-Newman Amendment is an amendment to the Constitution of Virginia that defines marriage as solely between one man and one woman and bans recognition of any legal status "approximat[ing] the design, qualities, significance, or effects of marriage". The amendment was ratified by 57% of the voters on November 7, 2006. It became part of the state Constitution as Section 15-A of Article 1. In 2014, the amendment was ruled unconstitutional in Bostic v. Schaefer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woodhull Freedom Foundation</span> Non-profit organization advocating for sexual freedom

The Woodhull Freedom Foundation, also known as Woodhull Sexual Freedom Alliance, is an American non-profit organization founded in 2003 that advocates for sexual freedom as a fundamental human right. The organization is based in Washington, D.C., United States. Named after an influential member of the American woman's suffrage movement, Victoria Woodhull, its focus includes analyzing groups and individuals that seek to perpetuate a culture of sexual repression.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in Kosovo</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in Kosovo have improved in recent years, most notably with the adoption of the new Constitution, banning discrimination based on sexual orientation. Kosovo remains one of the few Muslim-majority countries that hold regular pride parades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 California Proposition 8</span> Successful referendum on banning same-sex marriage

Proposition 8, known informally as Prop 8, was a California ballot proposition and a state constitutional amendment intended to ban same-sex marriage; it passed in the November 2008 California state elections and was later overturned in court. The proposition was created by opponents of same-sex marriage in advance of the California Supreme Court's May 2008 appeal ruling, In re Marriage Cases, which followed the short-lived 2004 same-sex weddings controversy and found the previous ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional. Proposition 8 was ultimately ruled unconstitutional by a federal court in 2010, although the court decision did not go into effect until June 26, 2013, following the conclusion of proponents' appeals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in Victoria</span>

The Australian state of Victoria is regarded as one of the country's most progressive jurisdictions with respect to the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ) people. Victoria is the only state in Australia, that has implemented a LGBTIQA+ Commissioner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Equal Love</span> Australian-wide campaign to legalize homosexual marriage

Equal Love is an Australian-wide campaign initiated by the Victorian Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby in an attempt to win gay and lesbian couples marriage rights in the country. The campaign involves a range of community, union, student and activist organisations whose aim is to influence public and government attitudes towards LGBTQ couples through education and direct action.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Carolina Amendment 1</span>

North Carolina Amendment 1 is a partially overturned legislatively referred constitutional amendment in North Carolina that amended the Constitution of North Carolina to add ARTICLE XIV, Section 6, which prohibit the state from recognizing or performing same-sex marriages, civil unions or civil union equivalents by defining male–female marriage as "the only domestic legal union" considered valid or recognized in the state. It did not prohibit domestic partnerships in the state and also constitutionally protected same-sex and opposite-sex prenuptial agreements, which is the only part that is still in effect today. On May 8, 2012, North Carolina voters approved the amendment, 61% to 39%, with a voter turnout of 35%. On May 23, 2012, the amendment took effect.

Until 2017, laws related to LGBTQ+ couples adopting children varied by state. Some states granted full adoption rights to same-sex couples, while others banned same-sex adoption or only allowed one partner in a same-sex relationship to adopt the biological child of the other.

This article contains a timeline of significant events regarding same-sex marriage in the United States. On June 26, 2015, the landmark US Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges effectively ended restrictions on same-sex marriage in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of gay men in the United States</span>

This article addresses the history of gay men in the United States. Unless otherwise noted, the members of same-sex male couples discussed here are not known to be gay, but they are mentioned as part of discussing the practice of male homosexuality—that is, same-sex male sexual and romantic behavior.

Same-sex marriage has been legal in the U.S. state of Georgia since the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges on June 26, 2015. Attorney General Sam Olens announced that Georgia would "adhere to the ruling of the Court", and the first couple married just one hour after the ruling was handed down. Previously, Georgia had banned same-sex marriage both by statute and its State Constitution.

In the United States, the history of same-sex marriage dates from the early 1940s, when the first lawsuits seeking legal recognition of same-sex relationships brought the question of civil marriage rights and benefits for same-sex couples to public attention though they proved unsuccessful. However marriage wasn't a request for the LGBTQ movement until the Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights in Washington (1987). The subject became increasingly prominent in U.S. politics following the 1993 Hawaii Supreme Court decision in Baehr v. Miike that suggested the possibility that the state's prohibition might be unconstitutional. That decision was met by actions at both the federal and state level to restrict marriage to male-female couples, notably the enactment at the federal level of the Defense of Marriage Act.

References

  1. ↑ "Form 990 for period ending December 2018". ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. 2018. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
  2. ↑ Cobb, Victoria. "Stafford school board ignores parents concerns". The Family Foundation. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  3. ↑ Hetzler, Josh (September 16, 2019). "VA health boards are literally banning the Gospel". The Family Foundation. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  4. ↑ "Life". The Family Foundation. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  5. ↑ "Allies". Family Policy Alliance. 12 June 2019. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
  6. ↑ "The Family Foundation Action". The Family Foundation. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
  7. ↑ Ring, Trudy (October 31, 2019). "Danica Roem Hit With Transphobic Ad as Virginia Election Looms". The Advocate. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
  8. ↑ Commending the Family Foundation of Virginia (Resolution 63). Virginia House of Delegates. 2009.
  9. ↑ Rozell, Mark J.; Wilcox, Clyde (1996). "Second Coming: The Strategies of the New Christian Right". Political Science Quarterly. 111 (2): 276. doi:10.2307/2152322. JSTOR   2152322.
  10. ↑ "Sed ed opponents seek celibacy focus". Daily Press. Newport News, Virginia. Associated Press. February 9, 1988. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
  11. ↑ "Lesbian fights to get her son back". Daily Press. Newport News, Virginia. September 6, 1993. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  12. ↑ Ayres, B. Drummond Jr. (September 9, 1993). "Judge's Decision In Custody Case Raises Concerns". New York Times. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  13. ↑ Tisdale, Sara Dabney (September 29, 2010). "Cobb's Web". Style Weekly. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
  14. ↑ "Amendment is crucial to protecting marriage". Daily Press. Newport News, Virginia. May 21, 2006. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  15. ↑ Bull, John M.R. (October 4, 2006). "Conservative group blankets Va. with calls". Daily Press. Newport News, Virginia. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  16. ↑ Eckholm, Erik (February 14, 2014). "Federal Judge Overturns Virginia's Same-Sex Marriage Ban". New York Times. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  17. ↑ Dujardin, Peter (February 15, 2019). "Sharp divide on Va. Ruling". Daily Press. Newport News, Virginia. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  18. ↑ Sabo, Matt (January 22, 2006). "Ruling spurs call for change". Daily Press. Newport News, Virginia. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  19. ↑ Helderman, Rosalind S. (February 6, 2006). "Senate to weight gay workers' protection". Daily Press. Newport News, Virginia. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  20. ↑ "Mutual consent divorce forces government into private lives". The News Leader. Staunton, Virginia. January 14, 2007. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  21. ↑ "General Assembly Votes to Ensure Judicial Integrity". The Family Foundation. May 15, 2012. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  22. ↑ Tavernise, Sabrina (May 15, 2012). "Gay Prosecutor Is Denied Virginia Judgeship Despite Bipartisan Support". The New York Times. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  23. 1 2 Suderman, Alan (February 21, 2019). "Bid to revive Equal Rights Amendment in Virginia fails by 1 vote". WHSV. Harrisonburg, Virginia. Associated Press. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  24. ↑ Cobb, Victoria (March 4, 2018). "Modern feminism commands respect - without the ERA". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  25. ↑ Dvorak, Petula (January 31, 2019). "This woman just derailed the Equal Rights Amendment yet again". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  26. ↑ Cobb, Victoria (January 10, 2019). Pro-Life Groups Oppose The Equal Rights Amendment In Virginia (Video). Richmond, Virginia: Students for Life. Event occurs at 35:00. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  27. ↑ Cobb, Victoria (January 28, 2020). "VA House and Senate Pass Moot ERA". The Family Foundation. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.