Family Policy Resource Center

This is a collection of some of the very best articles, analysis and research available on critical family issues. A variety of materials is offered, (including Family Watch Policy Briefs which can be printed and distributed) some for a general audience and some for pro-family activists and key policymakers and their staff members or for anyone who wants a more in-depth understanding of these issues:

Abortion

Marriage

Homosexuality

Sexual Rights

United Nations

Other Issues Affecting the Family

Abortion

Confronting the Myths About Maternal Mortality and Abortion. (FWI Policy Brief) Abortion advocates claim there is a connection between maternal mortality and restrictive abortion laws. Research shows that liberal abortion laws do not have a noticeable effect on decreasing maternal mortality whereas improving the quality of health care clearly does. This policy brief exposes the myths of maternal mortality and abortion.

Abortion. (FWI Policy Brief) This policy brief provides details on the negative impacts abortions have on the mother and explains the terminology and different types of abortions.

The Relentless Push to Create an “International Right" to Abortion. (FWI Policy Brief) Since 1994, abortion advocates have attempted to establish a broad international human right to abortion on demand.  What they got instead, through heated negotiations during the United Nations International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), is a prohibition on promoting abortion for family planning and encouragement by the United Nations body to avoid abortion altogether, especially unsafe abortions performed to save the mother. 

The Maputo Protocol. (FWI Policy Brief) The Maputo Protocol is an assault on the African family and unborn children, and where instituted fully will contribute to the continued breakdown of the traditional family resulting in myriad of negative consequences to men, women and children throughout Africa.

Other Resources on Abortion

Marriage

U.S. Supreme Court Brief of Major Religious Organizations as Amici Curiae in Support of Respondents. This brief was filed by various religious denominations including the National Association of Evangelicals, the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, the Assemblies of God and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The brief states, "Notwithstanding our theological differences, we are united in declaring that the traditional institution of marriage is indispensable to the welfare of the American family and society."

Family Watch International Amicus Brief to the U.S. Supreme Court. "...special consideration must be given to the states’ interests in the well-being of children, who are uniquely vulnerable and have little recourse against harm. Given the mounting evidence of harmful outcomes in children raised in households with same-sex parents, state laws restricting marriage to opposite-sex partners have a rational basis, and it would be imprudent to restrict the states from limiting marriage to opposite-sex partners for the well-being of children."

Brief of Amicus Curiae - 35 Comparative Law Scholars in Support of Gary R. Herbert, in His Official Capacity as Governor of Utah. (Amicus Brief) In October 2014 the U.S. Supreme Court unexpectedly declined to consider any of the five separate appeals brought by states seeking to overturn lower court rulings that would impose homosexual marriage on their citizens. As a result, judicial stays or orders suspending enforcement of lower court decisions that had temporarily blocked homosexual marriages in Indiana, Oklahoma, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin were lifted. Family Watch International funded this amicus brief submitted to the Supreme Court by 35 comparative law scholars (from Europe, Central and South America, and Oceania) in support of the appeal filed by the Governor of Utah. This brief argued, among other points, that the tenth circuit ruling in the Utah case is out of step with international norms that recognize a legitimate policy basis for opposite-gender marriage laws. The brief also argued that the Utah case is inconsistent with international tribunals and foreign courts, which generally have refused to judicially mandate same-sex marriages and deferred to legislatures to regulate same-sex unions.

Eight Reasons to Defend Man/Woman Marriage. (FWI Policy Brief) This policy brief presents eight compelling reasons why marriage between a man and a woman is essential to the future of every society and is worth defending.

Outcomes According to Family Structure. (FWI Policy Brief) Social science research has conclusively proven that a strong family based on marriage between a man and a woman is the optimum environment to protect, nourish and develop individuals. This policy brief contains a collection of these statistics based on various family forms.  

Traditional Marriage is Essential for a Healthy Society. (FWI Policy Brief) This brief summarizes why preserving the social institution of traditional marriage is essential to the future of any society and why the demands to legalize same-sex marriage are such a serious threat.

Why the U.S. Must Pass a Federal Marriage Amendment. (FWI Policy Brief) Presents a brief summary of the political and legal situation with respect to protecting marriage in the U.S. and explains why the only certain way to preserve it is by ratifying an amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Other Resources on Marriage

Decision of the Irish High Court Rejecting Same-sex Marriage. This is a landmark decision by the Irish High Court rejecting the challenge to Ireland’s law limiting marriage to a man and a woman that had been filed by two lesbian Irish citizens who were demanding that their Canadian same-sex marriage be recognized in Ireland. In one part of this decision, the justices went into detail expressing concern about the impact same-sex marriage would have on children and reviewed the social science data underscoring the importance of children having both a mother and a father.

The French Assembly Report on Same-sex Marriage and Same-sex Adoption. In early 2006 a commission composed of members of the French National Assembly issued the conclusions of their extensive investigation of what changes might be needed in French law and social policy to strengthen families and protect children. Among their recommendations: France should not legalize same-sex marriage, not allow same-sex adoption and not support artificial means for same-sex couples to have children. This was a particularly significant and surprising report because France is usually in the forefront of the effort internationally to promote these same policies and force them on other countries.

This is a 2 page summary of the pertinent findings of the French commission related to marriage and children prepared by a Canadian pro-family group, Preserve Marriage.

This is the English translation of the Executive Summary of the Assembly’s report.

The New Hampshire Commission Report on Same-sex Marriage. An official New Hampshire Commission was created by law in 2004 to investigate and analyze whether the state should recognize civil unions or legalize same-sex marriage and concluded that neither should be legalized. The “New Hampshire Commission to Study All Aspects of Same Sex Civil Marriage and the Legal Equivalents Thereof, Whether Referred to as Civil Unions, Domestic Partnerships, or Otherwise” was created by SB 427, Chapter 100:2, Laws of 2004.  A brief summary of the major findings and conclusions is posted here along with links to the report’s executive summary and the complete Commission report.

Expert Testimony of Dr. Sharon Quick Critiquing the Position of the American Academy of Pediatrics on Same-sex Parenting. Like a number of professional associations, the AAP has taken positions on same sex issues based far more on political correctness and the demands of the activists in their ranks than on the facts or the science. Dr. Quick’s testimony in the Iowa court case Varnum et al v Brien outlines the problems with the process and the data used by the AAP to reach its position.

What Same-sex Marriage has Done to Massachusetts. This report by a leading pro-marriage group in Massachusetts summarizes the major damage that has already been done to schools, parents’ rights, businesses, religious institutions, government finances and in other ways in Massachusetts since four activist judges imposed same-sex marriage on the people of that state.

The Taxpayer Costs of Divorce and Unwed Parenting. This is the first comprehensive scholarly effort to determine the cost to the taxpayers from the fragmentation of the family in the U.S. Its conservative estimate is at least $112 billion annually. Some of the factors leading to increased divorce and unwed parenting result in a changing perception and understanding of the social institution of marriage. The loss of the “social goods” from marriage is largely what is costing these tax dollars. But these negative influences on the institution are minor compared to the radical redefinition of the social institution that would result from legalizing same-sex marriage.  We can reasonably expect that the costs from such an action would be much greater. 

Marriage and the Betrayal of Perez and Loving. The comparison is often made between prohibiting same-sex individuals to marry and the laws banning interracial marriage that have been struck down by U.S. courts.  As this law journal article, lays out, this is a false comparison.  Interracial marriage is still traditional marriage between a man and a woman, and from a social institution perspective, it does not change the common understanding of marriage in society. Legalizing same-sex marriage, by contrast, is a radical redefinition of this social institution.

Marriage and the Public Good: Ten Principles. Published by the Witherspoon Institute in Princeton, New Jersey, this is an excellent medium-length summary of the social science-based case for preserving marriage as only between a man and a woman. It is the product of collaboration between scholars in a wide range of academic disciplines and seeks to broaden the debate over marriage to focus on the lessons of the social sciences and recent social experiences to make a conclusive case for preserving marriage.

VIDEO Presentation by Dr. Pat Fagan. Dr. Pat Fagan, an internationally recognized expert on what the social science research data show on the importance of family structure and the value of children being raised by their married biological parents speaks at a “Marriage Matters” forum sponsored by the Vermont Marriage Advisory Council at the University of Vermont in January, 2008.

Government Structure, Marriage and the Constitution: What all Americans should understand by Richard Wilkins. Richard Wilkins states flatly “Unless the American people amend the Constitution of the United States, marriage – in very short order – will no longer be a union between a man and a woman but, instead, a union of any two, three, four or more consenting adults.” An excellent, brief summary of why Americans must amend their federal constitution if they hope to preserve marriage as only between a man and a woman.

Articles by Monte Stewart. Monte Stewart, is currently president of the Marriage Law Foundation and is an internationally recognized scholar on marriage law and policy. He clerked for the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, has served as a U.S. Attorney, taught law and been appointed a Special Assistant State Attorney General.

Marriage Debates. The California Marriage Case: Interests of the State. This is the best short (11 pages) summary of why it is important to preserve the social institution of marriage as only the union of a man and a woman and why all of the legal arguments made by those demanding that same-sex marriage be legalized are invalid.

Judicial Redefinition of Marriage. This is a detailed examination of marriage law and policy based on Mr. Stewart’s 2004 post-graduate degree thesis at Oxford University. It was published in the September, 2004 Canadian Journal of Family Law and is widely regarded as one of the definitive reviews and analyses of marriage law and policy in the English-speaking world.

Genderless Marriage, Institutional Realities and Judicial Elision. Originally published in the Duke University Law Journal, this article is especially valuable because Mr. Stewart identifies, examines and thoroughly refutes each of the arguments commonly made by those advocating legalization of same-sex marriage.

VIDEO Presentation by Monte Stewart. This is a video of a presentation by Monte Stewart at a “Marriage Matters” forum sponsored by the Vermont Marriage Advisory Council at the University of Vermont in January, 2008.

Articles by Dr. Brad Wilcox, Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Virginia.

Why Marriage Matters: Marriage, Lone Parenthood, Cohabitation, and Child Well-being in the West. This is his excellent Power Point presentation, "Why Marriage Matters: Marriage, Lone Parenthood, Cohabitation, and Child Well-being in the
West
" delivered at the World Congress of Families IV in Warsaw, Poland in May of 2007.

The Effects of Marriage on Health: A Synthesis of Recent Research Evidence. This report by the United States Department of Health and Human Services concludes that “A burgeoning literature suggests that marriage may have a wide range of benefits, including improvements in individuals' economic well-being, mental and physical health, and the well-being of their children.” It summarizes the literature in an easy to understand way.

Homosexuality

In Their Own Words—Lies, Deception, and Fraud: Southern Poverty Law Center, Human Rights Campaign, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights’ Hate Campaign to Ban Psychotherapy for Individuals with Sexual and Gender Identity Conflicts. This report by the National Task Force for Therapy Equality was submitted to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission denouncing the “lies, deception, and fraud” of the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Human Rights Campaign, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights. According to the complaint, these activist organizations have made numerous false claims and provided fraudulent testimony about Sexual Orientation Change Effort therapy.

Laws Banning Sexual Orientation Change Therapy are Harmful and Violate Fundamental Human Rights. (FWI Policy Brief) “Sexual Orientation Change Efforts” (SOCE), a term used to describe therapeutic approaches to help people with unwanted same-sex attraction (SSA), has become increasingly controversial in recent years. This is because activists opposing SOCE therapy falsely claim it is ineffective and harmful. This brief summarizes pertinent research and shows that there is no ethical or scientific basis for limiting or banning therapy that has helped countless people with unwanted same-sex attraction.

What You Need to Know About Homosexuality. (FWI Policy Brief) Issues related to homosexuality and so-called “homosexual rights” are driving much of the current worldwide assault on marriage, the family and family related issues.  This policy brief gives you basic facts and  information you must know.

Unwanted Same-sex Attraction Can be Successfully Treated. (FWI Policy Brief) Same-sex attraction is not fixed and unchangeable. There is a growing number of individuals who are being successfully treated for unwanted same-sex attraction. This policy brief explains why homosexual activists continue to attack those who help reorient individuals who seek help to overcome unwanted same-sex attraction.

“Junk Science” and Same Sex Parenting. (FWI Policy Brief) Homosexual activists and their allies claim that research proves there are no significant differences between children raised by same-sex couples and those raised by heterosexuals.  As outlined in this brief, however, unbiased scholars who have examined this research are highly critical of it and they conclude that it is essentially useless in determining if there are differences.

Other Resources on Homosexuality

Fact Sheet for Utah Media on the Causes of Homosexuality and the Possibility of Change (pdf). Homosexual activist groups are spreading misinformation about the causes of homosexuality and the possibility for change to heterosexual orientation. This misinformation can result in misdirected public policy and serious, often tragic consequences, for individuals with unwanted same-sex attraction. There is ample evidence from both scientific research and clinical experience that homosexuality is not an innate and immutable trait such as race or gender and that individuals can change, and many do. Click here for Word.

"What Research Shows" Executive Summary. "What Research Shows" is the most comprehensive scholarly review ever done of more than 125 years of clinical experience and research into the nature of homosexuality, its treatment, and the many health problems associated with the homosexual lifestyle. The research and clinical experience show conclusively that homosexuals are not "born that way," that it can often be successfully treated, that the therapy is not harmful, and that there is a wide range of mental and physical health problems associated with the homosexual lifestyle.


Sexual Rights

World Congress of Families XI Panel Discussion: Family Advocacy at International Institutions. Presentation by Sharon Slater, President of Family Watch International, Budapest, Hungary, May 28, 2017.

Special Report--Abort Planned Parenthood: End Their Empire of Abortion, Deception, Fraud, and the Sexualization of Children. This detailed report provides evidence regarding Planned Parenthood's many questionable and harmful activities both in the U.S. and internationally.

Why States Should Keep “Reproductive Rights” Out of the SDGs (FWI Policy Brief) This policy brief provides 15 reasons why UN Member States should refuse to allow the dangerous and undefined term "reproductive rights" into documents under negotiation.

International Planned Parenthood Federation & Children’s “Right” to Sex. (FWI Policy Brief) International Planned Parenthood Federation seeks to establish “sexual rights” as internationally protected human rights, including a right to sexual pleasure for children from birth. This policy brief exposes IPPF and their blatant attempts to sexualize children and youth.

OHCHR Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the right of the child to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health. (FWI Policy Brief) This is an in depth analysis of the report on children's health issued by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. The report actually attempts to establish sexual and reproductive health “rights” for children, pushes “comprehensive sexuality education” for children, facilitates abortion and abortion-related services for children, downplays and undermines the rights and roles of families, including parents, in educating and raising their children, and undermines the role religious beliefs and traditions play in the raising of children.

Sexual Rights Defined. (FWI Policy Brief) “Sexual rights” is a controversial, elastic term that is the Trojan horse of the sexual rights movement. There is no international consensus on the definition of the term, but if is accepted in UN documents, there is potential for enormous damage to societies, families, and individuals — especially children.

The Report of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights: “Technical guidance on the application of a human rights-based approach to the implementation of policies and programmes to reduce preventable maternal morbidity and mortality.” (FWI Policy Brief) The Commissioner's report has little to do with maternal mortality and morbidity, and instead, is a thinly veiled attempt to establish highly controversial sexual rights as international human rights. The phrase “sexual and reproductive health rights” is repeated 29 times, even though this controversial phrase has been rejected by UN Member States every time it has been proposed in UN negotiations.

OHCHR Report on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity. (FWI Policy Brief) In November of 2011 the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) released a report addressing “Discriminatory laws and practices and acts of violence against individuals based on their sexual orientation and gender identity.”  Unfortunately, rather than focus on preventing violence against LGBT people, which was the intent of the Human Rights Council’s mandate, the report builds on the Commissioner’s 2010-2011 strategic plan to have the world “embrace sexual minorities.” The report does this by falsely claiming that international human rights law requires UN Member States to mainstream acceptance of LGBT behavior in every aspect of society, allegedly to prevent “discrimination.”

Comprehensive Sexuality Education: Sexual Rights vs Sexual Health. (FWI Policy Brief) This brief exposes comprehensive sexuality education programs that seek to change society by changing sexual and gender norms. These dangerous programs teach youth to advocate for their sexual rights and have an almost obsessive focus on sexual pleasure, instructing children and youth at the earliest ages on how to obtain sexual pleasure in a variety of ways.  Some programs even encourage sexual exploration for children as young as age five. For a more detailed report click here.

The Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education. (FWI Policy Brief) Rather than focus on the legitimate education needs of the world's children as required by his mandate, the former UN Special Rapporteur on the right to education abused his position and has attempted to unilaterally establish a new controversial right to comprehensive sexuality education, thereby bypassing the UN Member State negotiation process.

Yogyakarta Principles. (FWI Policy Brief) This policy brief is an expose of the “analysis” of the international homosexual activist community claiming that international law makes the expression of one’s sexual orientation, no matter what it is, a fundamental “human right.”

The International Guidelines on Sexuality Education. (FWI Policy Brief) This policy brief analyzes the original sexual rights-based publication issued by UNESCO in collaboration with UNICEF, UNFPA and WHO. It was intended to drive sex education programs taught to children in schools worldwide. It is very offensive and is contrary to what most parents would want their children exposed to. The original Guidelines have since been revised due to public outcry, but you can read them in their entirety here.


Other Resources on Sexual Rights


United Nations

Current UN Issues Regarding Children, Parents, and Religious Freedom by Bruce C. Hafen, Emeritus Dean and Professor of Law, Brigham Young University. This paper was presented January, 2016 and outlines three important issues: (1) child dependency vs. child autonomy, (2) rights of protection vs. rights of choice, and (3) objective vs. subjective measures of a child’s capacity.

The Rise of Faux Rights: How the UN went from recognizing inherent freedoms to creating its own rights by Meghan Grizzle Fischer. (ADF White Paper) This is an outstanding paper published by Alliance Defending Freedom that examines how the UN promotes “sexual and reproductive rights,” including abortion and comprehensive sexuality education, while at the same time disparaging the exercise of fundamental rights, such as parental rights, and impugning cultural and religious values.

Outcome Documents of Review Conferences. This document is an excerpt from the 2016 Resource Guide to UN Consensus Language on Family Issues published by Family Watch International

An Analysis of the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda: The Hidden Threats to Life, Family and Children. (FWI Policy Brief) This analysis of the SDGs and the UN’s 2030 Agenda was created to help UN Member States understand many of the hidden threats contained in the Agenda and to provide suggestions for counteracting these threats.

Various Forms of the Family. (FWI Policy Brief) The phrase “various forms of the family” has become one of the most divisive and controversial terms in UN negotiations. This is because many nations now understand that the term is being actively used by sexual rights advocacy groups to achieve government recognition of their sexual lifestyles or their controversial family living arrangements.

Binding Obligation of States to Protect the Family. (FWI Policy Brief) This Policy Brief is a compilation of UN consensus language from binding UN treaties and other important UN documents that shows the obligation of Member States to support and protect the family.

Threats to National Sovereignty: UN Entities Overstepping Their Mandates. (FWI Policy Brief) The right of UN Member States to national sovereignty is increasingly being undermined by the actions of rogue UN agencies, Special Rapporteurs and treaty monitoring bodies that are attempting to create new rights to which UN Member States have not consensually agreed. 

Wrongheaded UNAIDS Prevention Policies vs. Evidence-Based Solutions. (FWI Policy Brief) Prevention strategies promoted by United Nations agencies and driven by sexual rights activists actually fuel the AIDS pandemic rather than prevent the spread of HIV. Prevention strategies should focus on behavioral changes including fidelity, partner reduction and the delay of sexual debut. This policy brief examines the myths and facts of UNAIDS prevention policies.

The International Guidelines on HIV/AIDS and Human Rights. (FWI Policy Brief) The International Guidelines on HIV/AIDS and Human Rights extend far beyond internationally recognized human rights and seek to impose controversial policies that would weaken the institution of the family. Ironically, the Guidelines recommend protecting behaviors that actually fuel the AIDS epidemic.

The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). (FWI Policy Brief) This UN treaty has been described as “the ERA on steroids” and it is pending before the U.S. Senate.

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. (FWI Policy Brief) This UN treaty, ratified by all UN Member States except the United States, Somalia and South Sudan, is undermining parental rights around the world.


Other Resources on the United Nations

FWI 2013 Resource Guide to U.N. Consensus Language on Family Issues. This valuable guide contains consensus language from major UN treaties and documents that is supportive of the family.

Other Issues Affecting the Family

Pornography. (FWI Policy Brief) Pornography is a growing scourge that can lead to addiction and deviant behaviors that in turn can destroy families and can pose a danger to individuals and society.  This policy brief provides an overview of the problem.

Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). (FWI Policy Brief) Many Americans thought that the Equal Rights Amendment has been dead for decades, but liberals and feminists are trying to resurrect this threat to women and the family.

The Evolution of the Family in Europe 2007. Prepared by the International Policy Institute, this study provides an overview of the problems and pressures facing the family in Europe along with some recommendations about what can and should be done to protect and promote families as an answer to many of Europe’s social problems.

Do Fathers Matter uniquely for Adolescent Wellbeing of their Children? This research brief summarizes the findings of literally hundreds of academic studies that show that fathers, as well as mothers are critical in the wellbeing and healthy development of children at all ages.

The Shift and the Denial: Scholarly Attitudes toward Family Change, 1977-2002. Two noted researchers document the growing consensus over the past two decades that family structure, particularly the presence of both a mother and a father, are essential to the best development of children.  They also document the disturbing development of activist researchers who deny or try to confuse this growing evidence.

The UN Doha Declaration. This is one of the most important United Nations family documents in over a generation. It is part of the UN’s recognition of the 10th Anniversary of the International Year of the Family and reaffirms the UN’s historic commitment to protecting and promoting the family. All too often, UN bureaucrats and UN committees, in concert with anti-family non-governmental organizations, try to push an anti-family agenda in their dealings with individual countries and at various UN meetings. The Doha Declaration is an invaluable tool in stopping these efforts.