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The World Congress of Families (WCF) is a coalition of conservative groups opposed to LGBT rights and abortion. WCF comprises organizations in several countries, and most of its member partners are strongly active campaigners for pro-life positions and/or for specifically Christian views on marriage that oppose same-sex marriage. WCF was formed in 1997 and is active worldwide, regularly organizing "large international 'pro-family' conventions" Its views on gay marriage are controversial and have brought the group negative attention and strong criticism from gay-rights groups and from other human rights advocacy groups (see "Criticism" below).

History

Allan C. Carlson, President of the Howard Center for Family, Religion and Society, initiated the congress on the basis of article 16c of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, saying: "The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the state".

According to WCF, its purpose is to "stand up for the position of the traditional family, in a time of eroding family life and declining appreciation for families in general". The organization defines "the natural family" as the "union of a man and a woman in a lifelong covenant of marriage"

Since 1997 the WCF has held its major conferences in Prague (1997) with 700 visitors, followed by Geneva (1999) with 1600 visitors, Mexico City (2004) with 3300 visitors, Warsaw (2007) with 3900 visitors, Amsterdam (2009), Madrid (2012), and Sydney (2013).

The meeting in Warsaw in May 2007 was to be addressed by Ellen Sauerbrey, at the time head of the United States Department of State's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, which provoked a letter from 19 Members of the European Parliament demanding that she should not go. Ambassador Sauerbrey addressed the opening session of the Warsaw congress which was said to be the largest-ever gathering of international pro-family forces.

The 2009 conference in Amsterdam met with some controversy when the government minister, André Rouvoet, addressed the congress despite requests from other Dutch Parliamentarians that he should not do so. Their local offices were defaced with paint, obscenities and anti-Christian slogans by unknown vandals, but the WCF said they would not be intimidated by radical opposition. The WCF comprises Christian, Islamic, and secular leaders, and the Chief Rabbi of the Netherlands was scheduled to speak at the conference.

Following initial planning in 2010, the WCF sponsored the July 2011 Moscow Demographic Summit, which formulated a communique calling on governments to develop "a pro-family demographic policy and to adopt a special international pro-family strategy and action plan aimed at consolidating family and marriage, protecting human life from conception to natural death, increasing birth rates, and averting the menace of depopulation."

In London in 2012, the WCF were refused permission to hire out the facilities of the Law Society for an event entitled One man. One woman. Making the case for marriage for the good of society, and had to find an alternative venue.

Prior to the 2013 WCF conference, Sydney politician Alex Greenwich sought to ensure that the conference comply with anti-discrimination legislation. One of the reports presented to the conference said that children raised in two-parent families do best at school.

In August 2014, the WCF held a regional conference in Melbourne Australia.

The 2014 WCF conference is scheduled to be held in September in Russia. However, because of the situation in the Ukraine and Crimea, its planning is currently suspended. They have called their event the "Pro-Life Olympics".

Criticism

The WCF is controversial for its opposition to civil rights protections on the basis of sexual orientation, opposition to same sex marriage, and support for anti-gay policies in Russia.

The Human Rights Campaign called WCF "one of the most influential groups in America promoting and coordinating the exportation of anti-LGBT bigotry, ideology, and legislation abroad" and stated that their international conferences comprise "the most fringe activists engaged in anti-LGBT extremism". The HRC also connect the WCF and its affiliates "to anti-LGBT advocacy in Uganda (see Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2014), Russia (see Russian LGBT propaganda law), Nigeria (see LGBT rights in Nigeria), and many other countries."

The WCF is also considered an anti-gay hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). As of August 2014, the WCF partners listing includes several groups that are also listed as anti-gay hate groups by the SPLC, including American Family Association, Americans for Truth About Homosexuality, and Family Research Council. Additionally their partner Alliance Defense Fund started the Day of Truth in 2005 to oppose the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network's Day of Silence, which protests against harassment of LGBT students.

WCF was condemned by the Senate of Australia in 2014 after several MPs and government ministers announced their intention to speak at the conference and four successive venues refused to host the conference. Four of these ministers later pulled out of the conference, in part because the conference is hosted by conservative evangelical Christian group Catch the Fire.

References

1. ^ Fedar, J. Lester. "Conservative Group Delays "Pro-Life Olympics" In Moscow Over Ukraine". Retrieved 29 August 2014. A global coalition opposing LGBT and abortion rights
2. ^ Di Stefano, Mark. "World Congress Of Families Throws Support Behind Anti-Gay Marriage Summit In Australian Parliament". Buzzfeed. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
3. Davidson, Kevin. "Kevin Andrews books out parliament room for anti-gay marriage conference: Social services minister won't attend 'strengthening the family' conference which has links to controversial Christian group". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 August 2014. The World Congress of Families is the global conservative Christian organisation which was scheduled to hold a controversial regional event in Melbourne this weekend
4. ^ "HRC report examines World Congress of Families' anti-gay influence, extremism". LGBTQ Nation. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
5. Fineman, Martha; Worthington, Karen (2009). What Is Right for Children?: The Competing Paradigms of Religion and Human Rights. Ashgate. pp. 26–28. ISBN 9780754674191.
6. World Congress of Families: The Natural Family
7. Prague 1997: Convening Organizations - World Congress of Families
8. Urquhart, Gordon (12 November 1999). "That's not faith, that's provocation". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
9. Geneva 1999: Convening Organizations - World Congress of Families
10. Mexico 2004: Convening Organizations - World Congress of Families
11. Goldberg, Michelle (30 May 2007). "Jerry Falwell lives ... in Poland". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
12. Warsaw 2007 - World Congress of Families
13. "World Congress of Families V to be in Amsterdam". Christian Telegraph. 8 July 2008. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
14. Baklinski, Thaddeus (23 May 2012). "Sixth World Congress of Families Conference takes place in Madrid May 25-27". LifeSiteNews. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
15. "World Congress of Families Starts in Sydney: Why Society Needs Strong Families". Mormon News Room. 15 May 2013. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
16. European leftists attack World Congress of Families - Catholic World News
17. "Largest-Ever Gathering of International Pro-Family Forces Opens in Warsaw Poland". LifeSiteNews. 11 May 2007. Retrieved 18 May 2013.
18. Commentary: Exporting "Traditional Values", Political Research Associates
19. http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/antichristian_vandals_target_world_congress_of_families_meeting/
20. "Jacobs finds support for international pro-family and pro-life movement in Moscow". World Congress of Families. 13 December 2010. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
21. "Moscow Demographic Summit Ends with Demand for Governments to Adopt a 'Pro-Family Demographic Policy'". Christian News Wire. 7 July 2011. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
22. Heterosexual marriage? I’m sorry, you can’t discuss that, Christina Odone, The Telegraph
23. "Law Society prevents free speech". Evangelical Times Newspaper. July 2012. Retrieved 18 May 2013.
24. Piotrowski, Daniel (24 April 2013). "Family fury: Controversial conference speakers anger gay community". News Limited. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
25. "Two parents give an educational edge". Ninemsn. 16 May 2013. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
26. "Life, Family and Freedom" (PDF). Endeavour Forum. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
27. http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/02/world-congress-families-russia-gay-rights
28. "Planning for World Congress of Families VIII Suspended". Christian News Wire. 25 March 2014. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
29. WORLD CONGRESS OF FAMILIES DISMAYED BY OBAMA DECISION TO SIGN UN “HOMOSEXUAL SPECIAL RIGHTS” STATEMENT
30. Warren Thockmorton (August 21, 2011). "American Anti-Gay Campaign in Africa Opposes "Fictitious Sexual Rights"". Religion Dispatches.
31. Attack On Traditional Marriage
32. Safi, Michael (25 August 2014). "Kevin Andrews named 'Natural Family Man of the Year' by Christian group". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
33. "Criminalizing Sex: Six U.S. Anti-Gay Groups Abroad". Dangerous Liaisons. Southern Poverty Law Center. August 2013.
34. "Thank you to all World Congress Families Partners for your support". Retrieved 29 August 2014.
35. Day of Dialogue website
36. "World Congress of Families conference in chaos as venues decline to host". The Guardian. 26 August 2014. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
37. Davey, Melissa (28 August 2014). "Politicians pull out of conservative World Congress of Families conference". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
38. Dan Harrison,, Richard Willingham (August 29, 2014). "Kevin Andrews cancels plans to open World Congress of Families conference". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 29 August 2014.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)

• Conservatism in the United States
• International nongovernmental organizations
• Organizations that oppose LGBT rights