Thank You for Your Feedback and Support!

Dear Supporter of the Family,

I can’t tell you how gratifying it is to hear from so many of you in different parts of the world telling us that “The Family Watch“ newsletter makes a difference and that you appreciate the information we send out.

At the World Congress of Families in Amsterdam last month, people from a number of countries went out of their way to come to our booth and tell us how much they appreciate the commentary and news in “The Family Watch.”  A woman from Mexico told me how she reads every word and how she especially likes “Have We Gone Mad.”  A man from Ireland told me how he relies on the news we send out and passes it on to his whole group.

Sometimes we wonder when we send an issue of “The Family Watch” off into cyberspace how much of a difference it really makes and whether it is worth the personal sacrifice that I and others make to put it together each time.  Then we receive a positive email with words of encouragement or an unsolicited donation of $10, $20, $50, $100 or $200 or more from somewhere in the world, and we are reassured that it is valued by you.  Your positive feedback in whatever form it takes inspires us to continue this work.  Thank you.

You may know that I am a volunteer and do not get paid for writing the president’s message or doing any of the things I do as president of Family Watch International to defend marriage and the family.  Our few professional staff members are underpaid and regularly volunteer as much or more time than they get paid for.  Many other key people also unselfishly volunteer their time, talents and resources.  In fact if it weren’t for all of our volunteers, including many of you who respond to our email alerts and help us affect family issues around the world, we would not be as effective as we are.

Due to your support, we have been able to make a positive difference in many family policy issues.  But things are becoming more critical at the international level and in many of your countries, so there will be even more we must do in the future.

But for this message I just want to thank you for all you do to support us with donations, words of encouragement, responding to our e-alerts, and passing “The Family Watch” on to others so that we can grow our network of people around the world willing to Stand for the Family!

Together we can continue to make a critical difference in the fight to defend the family and family values!

Sincerely,

Sharon Slater
President

News Items of Interest

Adoption

HHS Gives Millions to States for Adoption.  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded $35 million to 38 states and Puerto Rico for increasing the number of children that were adopted from foster care.  The financial incentives are awarded to states that find children, especially older and special needs children, adoptive homes.  Read more here.

Uruguay Approves Same-sex Adoption.  Uruguay is the first country in Latin America to allow homosexual and lesbian couples to adopt children.  The legislation was opposed by the country’s religious leaders and some conservative politicians.  Read more here.

Marriage Related

CA Legislature Passes Same-sex Marriage Recognition Bill in California.  Senate Bill 54 would recognize same-sex marriages performed outside the state prior to November 5, 2008, the date that California voters passed Prop 8.  The bill passed in spite of the wording in the California Constitution which states, “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.”  The bill will now go to Governor Schwarzenegger who will either veto it or sign it into law.  Read more here.

D.C. Legalization of Same-sex Marriage Likely Before Year End.  It appears that there are enough council members in favor of the legislation to pass it, which will probably happen by the end of the year.  Since Congress has the authority to veto any ordinances passed by the D.C. council, passage will set off a national fight on same-sex marriage.  Read more here.

Judge Shields Names of Washington Marriage Supporters.  U.S. District Judge Benjamin Settle ordered that the state must continue to keep confidential the identities of individuals who signed petitions to force a vote on benefits for same-sex couples.  Referendum 71 will allow voters to approve or reject the domestic partnership law passed by state lawmakers earlier this year.  Read more here.

Bill to Repeal Federal DOMA Introduced.  New York congressman Jerrold Nadler along with 92 co-sponsors has introduced H.R. 3567, the “Respect for Marriage Act of 2009,” to repeal the federal Defense of Marriage Act.  Read more here.

Rep. Frank Won’t Back DOMA Repeal.  The Congressman, who is openly homosexual, said he does not believe the effort underway to pass legislation repealing the federal Defense of Marriage Act is achievable in the near term and is less important than some other homosexual issues, such as including them as a class in the Employment Nondiscrimination Act and repealing the U.S. military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. Read more here.

Homosexuality Related

California Governor Pressured to Proclaim Harvey Milk Day.  The legislature passed a bill to honor the birthday of Harvey Milk, the late San Francisco city supervisor, who was California’s first openly homosexual elected official, assassinated in 1978.  A nearly identical bill was vetoed last year by Governor Schwarzenegger who stated that Milk should be recognized on a local level rather than on a state level.  Schwarzenegger has not taken a position on this year’s bill as yet.  Read more here.

CDC Report: Homosexual/Bisexual Men 50 Times More Likely to be HIV Positive.  The figure represents an estimate based on U.S. national surveys, however, the report confirms previous statistics that show that homosexual men have a disproportionate occurrence of sexually-related diseases.  Read more here.

California Parents Sue School District.  Parents of students in the Alameda Unified School District were refused the right to opt their children from classes they considered to be homosexual indoctrination.  Children, beginning in Kindergarten, will be taught about homosexual, lesbian, bisexual and transgender families.  School administrators say the instruction is necessary and will protect students from sexual discrimination.  Read more here.

Ontario Bishop Responds to Tribunal Complaint.  Bishop Nicola De Angelis, Bishop of Peterborough has written a letter defending the church’s right to dismiss an adult homosexual man who was acting as an altar server.  A complaint was filed by the man with the Human Rights Tribunal.  Bishop De Angelis wrote that government agencies are not in a position to tell the church what its internal rules and regulations should be.  Read more here.

General Interest

UNFPA Prohibits Pro-Life Participants From Conference in Germany.  The Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute reports that organizers of the global event to promote sexual and reproductive rights admitted to deliberately blocking members of the media and civil society who did not agree with their agenda from the conference.  Individuals who wished to attend were required to fill out a questionnaire indicating how their organization supported “sexual and reproductive health and rights.”  If the organizers determined that individuals would not advance “issues of women’s health and women’s rights,” they were not allowed to participate.  Read more here.

Canadian Hate-speech Law Declared Unconstitutional.  The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal has ruled that the federal law regulating hate speech violates rights to freedom of expression guaranteed by Canada’s Charter of Rights.  Read more here.

UNFPA Pulls Name From Graphic Sex Ed Guidelines.  The International Guidelines on Sexuality Education were released jointly by UNESCO and UNFPA.  However, after highly publicized criticism about the content, references to UNFPA were scrubbed from the document.  The guidelines encourage the promotion of masturbation, sexual pleasure and abortion to children as young as age five.  Read more here.

Japan Paying Parents to Have Children.  A proposal put forward by the Democratic Party of Japan would pay parents about $3,400 per year per child until the child reaches high school.  The purpose of the proposal is to increase Japan’s birthrate, which is one of the lowest in the world and detrimental to the economy of Japan.  Read more here.  

 

Have We Gone MAD?

Bizarre, real-life examples that make us wonder. . . Have We Gone MAD?

Milking it for All Its Worth

Sitting on Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s desk right this very second is a controversial bill passed by California lawmakers that would encourage all public school and educational institutions in California to “conduct suitable commemorative exercises” and remember and recognize the “accomplishments” and “contributions” of Harvey Bernard Milk.

If these lawmakers get their way, on “Harvey Milk Day” California schoolchildren will honor the “accomplishments” and “contributions” of the first openly homosexual San Francisco City Supervisor.  And here they are:

Mr. Milk won one election out of the four races he entered.

Mr. Milk sponsored exactly two laws as a supervisor: one banning discrimination against homosexuals, and the other requiring dog owners to clean up after their dogs.

Mr. Milk was the first openly homosexual San Francisco City Supervisor.

Here are some “accomplishments” and “contributions” of Harvey Milk that California lawmakers seem to have conveniently overlooked:

Mr. Milk had homosexual relationships with teenage boys.

Mr. Milk believed in engaging in multiple simultaneous homosexual relationships.

Mr. Milk admitted that he had falsely claimed that his homosexuality resulted in a dishonorable discharge from the Navy in order to garner sympathy and win votes.

Mr. Milk lobbied then President Jimmy Carter in behalf of a six-year-old boy a major supporter of his, the Rev. Jim Jones, wanted to retain custody of.  The boy died shortly afterward along with more than 900 followers (many of whom were campaign workers for Milk) of Rev. Jones in a mass suicide.

It is clear from this list of “accomplishments” and “contributions” that Harvey Milk is being honored for one thing, and one thing only—his sexual orientation.  It’s also clear that the California legislators who passed this bill have made Harvey Milk a legend in their own minds.

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