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The Family Research Council (FRC) is an American conservative Christian group and lobbying organization formed in the United States in 1981 by James Dobson. It was fully incorporated in 1983. In the late 1980s, the FRC officially became a division of Dobson's main organization, Focus on the Family, but after an administrative separation, the FRC officially became an independent entity in 1992. The function of the FRC is to promote what it considers to be traditional family values, by advocating and lobbying for socially conservative policies. It advocates against LGBT rights, abortion, divorce, embryonic stem-cell research, and pornography. The FRC is affiliated with a 501(c)(4) lobbying PAC known as FRC Action. Tony Perkins is the current president. As of 2010, the Southern Poverty Law Center has designated the FRC as an anti-gay hate group, a decision which has drawn criticism from conservatives.

History

The Family Research Council was incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 1983. James Dobson, Armand Nicholi, Jr. of Harvard University, and George Rekers of the University of South Carolina were some of its founding board members. In 1988, following financial difficulties, the FRC was incorporated into Focus on the Family, and Gary Bauer joined the organization as president. The FRC remained under the Focus on the Family umbrella until 1992, when it separated out of concern for Focus' tax-exempt status. Tony Perkins joined the FRC as its president in 2003.

Politics and policies

The Family Research Council supports the wide availability of a vaccine for human papilloma virus (HPV, a virus that causes cervical cancer), though it opposes an effort to make this mandatory for school attendance. Its position is that it would infringe upon rights of parents to make medical decisions for their children, without a sufficient public health justification, as HPV is not transmitted through casual contact.

It supports a federal conscience clause protecting the right of medical workers to withhold from certain practices, such as abortion or dispensation of contraception, that it finds morally objectionable. It also supports an increase in pro-abstinence sex education, intelligent design as an alternative to evolution (and the ID movement's "Teach the Controversy" campaign), tighter regulation of pornography (especially internet pornography), and "obscene, indecent, or profane programing" on broadcast and cable television. It is actively opposed the introduction of a .xxx domain name on the grounds that it would legitimize pornography, and lobbied for an increase in indecency fines from the Federal Communications Commission. It also believes that hotel pornography may be prosecutable. They oppose the expansion of civil rights laws to include sexual orientation and gender identity as illegal bases for discrimination.

The Family Research Council also supports lower taxes and simplifying the tax code, increasing the child tax credit, school prayer, the requirement of a one-year waiting period before a married couple with children can legally get a divorce so that they can receive marital counseling, unless the marriage involves domestic violence, and permanently eliminating the marriage penalty and estate taxes.

The Family Research Council opposes legalized abortion, stem-cell research which involves the destruction of human embryos and funding thereof (instead advocating research using adult stem cells), legal recognition of same-sex domestic partnerships in the form of marriage or civil unions, and all forms of gambling because it believes it negatively affects one's family, personal, and professional life.

Publishing and lobbying activities

In their report Funding the Culture Wars, the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy lists the Family Research Council as one of the leading organizations funding the activities of the conservative movement. As a non-profit organization, FRC is completely dependent on donations from supporters.

FRC publishes frequent e-mail updates, usually in the form of short articles, which can also be viewed on their website. These articles typically take the form of advocacy for a conservative Christian perspective on current political and social issues.

Family Research Council is a member of ProtectMarriage.com, a coalition formed to sponsor California Proposition 8 to restrict marriage to opposite-sex couples only, which passed in 2008 (but was struck down as unconstitutional by a federal court in California, with the ruling stayed as the case is appealed).

Justice Sunday

Justice Sunday is a series of religious conferences organized by the FRC and Focus on the Family. According to FRC, the purpose of the events was to "request an end to filibusters of judicial nominees that were based, at least in part, on the nominees' religious views or imputed inability to decide cases on the basis of the law regardless of their beliefs."

Values Voter Summit

Every fall, FRC Action (the political action group affiliated with FRC) holds an annual summit composed for conservative Christian activists and evangelical voters in Washington, D.C. In the past, the summit has been a place for social conservatives across the nation to hear Republican presidential hopefuls' platforms, and via a straw poll since 2007 also a means of providing an early prediction of which candidate will win the endorsement of Christian conservatives.

Controversy

Statements on homosexuality

The Family Research Council's Senior Researcher for Policy Studies Peter Sprigg stated on NBC's Hardball that gay behavior should be outlawed and that "criminal sanctions against homosexual behavior" should be enforced. More recently, Sprigg has publicly suggested that repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy would encourage molestation of heterosexual service members. When asked about Sprigg's comments regarding the criminalization of same-sex behavior, FRC President Tony Perkins said that criminalizing homosexuality is not a goal of the Family Research Council, but did not denounce Sprigg's statements. Perkins repeated the FRC’s association of gay men with pedophilia, saying that "If you look at the American College of Pediatricians, they say the research is overwhelming that homosexuality poses a danger to children." The opinions expressed by Perkins are contradicted by mainstream social science research on same-sex parenting and the likelihood of child molestation by homosexuals, and some scientists whose work is cited by the American College of Pediatricians, a small conservative political organization formed when the American Academy of Pediatrics endorsed adoption by same-sex couples, have accused the FRC of distorting and misrepresenting their work.

Listing as a hate group by SPLC

In the Winter 2010 issue of its magazine, Intelligence Report, the Southern Poverty Law Center designated the FRC as a hate group, saying that the organization "pushed false accusations linking gay men to pedophilia". FRC President Tony Perkins dismissed the hate group designation as a political attack on the FRC by a "liberal organization" and as part of "the left's smear campaign of conservatives". On December 15, 2010 the FRC ran an open letter advertisement in two Washington, D.C. newspapers disputing the SPLC's action, 'calling the allegation "intolerance pure and simple" and said it was dedicated to upholding "Judeo-Christian moral views, including marriage as the union of a man and a woman."' A section of the letter supporting the FRC, signed by prominent conservative leaders, including politicians. SPLC issued a response by Mark Potok in which he emphasized the factual evidence upon which SPLC had taken the step of making the designation.

Shooting incident

On August 15, 2012, a gunman attempting to enter FRC's Washington, D.C. headquarters shot a security guard before he was wrestled to the ground. Police arrested the gunman and he was interviewed by the FBI. The guard was taken to a hospital to treat his non-life threatening wound. Law enforcement officials said that the suspect, identified as 28-year-old Floyd Corkins II, a resident of nearby Herndon, Virginia, had served as a volunteer at a LGBT community center and that he had made negative statements about FRC prior to the incident.

The FBI and police are working together "to determine motive/intent and whether a hate crime/terrorism nexus exists.". A joint statement was issued by 25 LGBT groups condemning the shooting. The National Organization for Marriage, another active campaigner against same-sex marriage, issuing a statement saying “Today’s attack is the clearest sign we’ve seen that labeling pro-marriage groups as ‘hateful’ must end".

Similar and related organizations

• Alliance Defending Freedom
• American Family Association
• Family Research Institute
• Focus on the Family
• The Heritage Foundation

See also

• Christian Coalition
• Christian Voice
• LGBT rights opposition
• List of organizations designated by the Southern Poverty Law Center as hate groups
• Moral Majority Coalition
• Values Voter Summit

Notes and references

1. ^ "About FRC: History/Mission". Family Research Council. 2010-05-08. Archived from 1 the original on 2007-02-04. {{cite news}}: Check |url= value (help)
2. Paul S. Herrnson (2005). The interest group connection: electioneering, lobbying, and policymaking in Washington. CQ Press. p. 410. ISBN 978-1-56802-922-1. Retrieved 28 November 2010. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
3. ^ Paul A. Djupe (2003). Encyclopedia of American religion and politics. Infobase Publishing. p. 163. ISBN 978-0-8160-4582-2. Retrieved 28 November 2010. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
4. Glenn H. Utter (2004). Conservative Christians and political participation: a reference handbook. ABC-CLIO. p. 355. ISBN 978-1-85109-513-1. Retrieved 28 November 2010. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
5. "Biography - Tony Perkins". Family Research Council. Retrieved 28 November 2010.
6. "Clarification of 2005 Family Research Council Media Remarks on HPV Vaccine". Family Research Council. Archived from the original on 1 July 2007. Retrieved 28 November 2010.
7. Brynaert, Ron (22 August 2006). "Coalition of conservative groups believe hotel porn may be prosecutable". Raw Story. Archived from the original on 15 October 2007. Retrieved 28 November 2010.
8. "Homosexuality Is Not a Civil Right" (PDF). Family Research Council.
9. "FAQs". Family Research Council. Retrieved 29 October 2010.
10. Roger W. Stump (2000). Boundaries of faith: geographical perspectives on religious fundamentalism. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 108. ISBN 978-0-8476-9320-7. Retrieved 28 November 2010.
11. Model Legislation: Divorce Reform for Families With Children
12. Leonard, Andrew (15 November 2007). "Life, liberty and the right to play online poker". Salon. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
13. Funding the Culture Wars: Philanthropy, Church and State. National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy. 2005. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
14. Hubbell, John M. (April 28, 2005). "Coalition seeks male-female marriage definition / New ballot push for constitutional amendment". San Francisco Chronicle. p. B.3.
15. Justice Sunday II: A Special Note From Executive Vice President of FRC, Chuck Donovan
16. Michelle Vu, "Presidential Hopefuls Highlight 'Values' to Christian Conservatives," "The Christian Post," October 20, 2007
17. "CHRIS MATTHEWS: Do you think we should outlaw gay behavior?

    PETER SPRIGG: Well, I think certainly-

    MATTHEWS: I’m just asking you, should we outlaw gay behavior?

    SPRIGG: I think that the Supreme Court decision in Lawrence v. Texas, which overturned the sodomy laws in this country, was wrongly decided. I think there would be a place for criminal sanctions against homosexual behavior.

    MATTHEWS: So we should outlaw gay behavior.

    SPRIGG: Yes."

    February 02, 2010. Hardball, MSNBC.statement at 8:37, transcript
18. "Family Research Council Labeled 'Hate Group' By SPLC Over Anti-Gay Rhetoric". Talking Points Memo. Retrieved 2010-11-26.
19. ^ "Perkins, Potok spar over hate group". Hardball with Chris Matthews. MSNBC. Retrieved 8 December 2010 . {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
20. "Tony Perkins Defends Family Research Council, Sort Of". Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved 2010-11-30.
21. ^ 10 Anti-Gay Myths Debunked Southern Poverty Law Center By Evelyn Schlatter and Robert Steinback, accessed Dec 03 2010
22. "Sexual orientation, homosexuality, and bisexuality". American Psychological Association. Retrieved 2010-11-30.
23. Pinto, Nick (26 May 2010). "University of Minnesota professor's research hijacked". Minneapolis City Pages. Retrieved 17 November 2010.
24. Waddington, Lynda (23 November 2010). "Groups that Helped Oust Iowa Judges Earn 'Hate Group' Designation; SPLC Adds American Family Association, Family Research Council to List". Iowa Independent. Retrieved 25 November 2010.
25. ^ Thompson, Krissah (24 November 2010). "'Hate group' designation angers same-sex marriage opponents". Washington Post. Retrieved 25 November 2010.
26. Evelyn Schlatter. "18 Anti-Gay Groups and Their Propaganda". SPLC. Retrieved 28 November 2010.
27. Barrett, Devlin. "Guard Shot at Family Research Council Headquarters". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 8-15-12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
28. Boyle, Matthew (2010-12-15). "Family Research Council, top GOP lawmakers fight back against SPLC 'hate group' label". The Daily Caller. Retrieved 2010-12-24.
29. "Start Debating, Stop Hating" (PDF). Family Research Council. 15 December 2010. Retrieved 24 December 2010.
30. SPLC Responds to Attack by FRC, Conservative Republicans, December 5, 2010
31. ^ Johnson, Jessica. "Official: Suspect Floyd Corkins II criticized group before Wash. shooting". Today's THV. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
32. Emery, Theo (August 15, 2012). "Policy Group in Washington Is Shooting Site". The New York Times. Retrieved August 15, 2012.
33. ^ DiMargo, Carissa. "Security Guard Shot at Family Research Council in Downtown DC". NBC News Washington. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
34. ^ "Cops: LGBT volunteer shoots conservative group's guard". CBS News. August 15, 2012. Retrieved August 15, 2012.
35. ^ Virginia man charged in shooting at Family Research Council, CNN.
36. Lopez, Kathryn Jean (August 15, 2012). "Oh My Goodness". The Corner. National Review. Retrieved August 15, 2012.
37. http://www.valuesbus.com/

External links

• Family Research Council home page
• Family Research Council election portal
• FRC Action home page
• Ministry Watch
• 2011 Values Voter Summit

• Political organizations in the United States
• Organizations that oppose same-sex marriage
• Organizations established in 1983
• Organizations based in Washington, D.C.
• Conservatism in the United States