World Family Policy Center Newsletter

By Jeni Horn

Talon News

September 21, 2004

The amendment, which would place Louisiana's statutory definition of marriage into the state constitution and out of the hands of activist judges or public officials, was approved by a seldom seen margin of 78% to 22%. The effort to protect the Bayou State's definition of marriage was both as broad as Lake Pontchartrain and deep and powerful as the Mississippi, inundating every Louisiana parish by substantial margins.

Even in Orleans Parish within the city of New Orleans, known as a bastion of homosexual political influence and sexual decadence (two weekends prior the city hosted the Southern Decadence party sometimes called an unofficial 'Gay Mardi Gras' targeting homosexual revelers), the Marriage Protection Amendment won by just under 9.8 percentage points.

http://www.mensnewsdaily.com/archive/newswire/news2004/0904/092104-marriage.htm

Related Article: Manitoba legalizes same-sex marriage

CTV.ca News Staff

September 21, 2004

Manitoba has become the fifth jurisdiction in Canada to legalize same-sex marriage.

Court of Queen's Bench Justice Douglas Yard ruled Thursday morning that the current definition of marriage in provincial law is unconstitutional.

"The traditional definition of marriage in Manitoba is reformulated to mean a voluntary union for life of two persons at the exclusion of all others," Justice Yard said in his decision.

Gay rights groups say they expect the first same-sex wedding to be performed in the province by the end of the week.

The case was brought forward by three same-sex couples who argued for the right to marry.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1095346057822_90755257?hub=TopStories

Related Article: Billboard Pushes Tolerance for Ex-homosexuals

September 24, 2004

WorldNetDaily.com

An organization supporting those who have left the homosexual lifestyle has put up a new billboard it hopes will highlight the group's belief that homosexual activists, contrary to their rhetoric, are not tolerant of those who have become heterosexual.

Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays, or PFOX, has placed the billboard on Interstate 64 near the turnoff for I-95 in the Richmond, Va., area, the group said in a statement. The sign features a photo of a man who left homosexuality and says: "Ex-Gays Prove that Change Is Possible. Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays Seeking Tolerance for All."

To read entire article:

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=40598

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2. Federal Grant Brings Healthy Marriage Center to Minnesota

By Kermit Pattison

Pioneer Press

Sep. 23, 2004

The federal government on Thursday awarded a $900,000 grant to create a Minnesota-based center for strengthening marriages, the first such national clearinghouse and a facet of the Bush Administration's quest to promote families.

The federal government expects to spend $4.5 million over five years to create the Healthy Marriage Resource Center as a national repository of research, analysis and other information.

"Children who grow up within the context of a healthy, stable marriage do better than those who grow up in unhealthy, unstable and dysfunctional marriage," Said Wade F. Horn, assistant secretary for children and families with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Organizers expect to create a Web site by early next year for an audience of couples, academic researchers, counselors, faith-based organizations and others. It will collect and spread information, provide resources for educators, publicize research findings, provide tips for practitioners and foster communication on sustaining healthy marriages.

To read entire article:

http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/9743251.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp&1c

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3. Adoption - Almost 130,000 Children Need a Home

There are currently 532,000 children in the public child welfare system, of these almost 130,000 are waiting for an adoptive family. Sadly, each year, approximately 19,000 children "age out" of the system without ever being adopted. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families has partnered with, The Adoption Exchange Association, The Collaboration to AdoptUSKids and the Ad Council to launch a new public service advertising campaign. The campaign issues a call to action to prospective parents asking them to consider adopting a child or children from foster care. The campaign aims to significantly increase the awareness of the urgent need to provide loving, permanent homes for these children.

To read entire article:

http://www.adcouncil.org/campaigns/adoption/

For more details also visit: http://www.adoptuskids.org/servlet/page?_pageid=66&_dad=portal30&_schema=PORTAL30

Related Article: Embryo Adoption Hailed on Hill

by Keith Peters, Washington, D.C., correspondent

September 23, 2004

Families that have adopted frozen embryos gather in Washington, D.C., with pro-family congressmen and senators.

It was 85 degrees in Washington on Wednesday, but little snowflakes were seen on Capitol Hill — and they had an important message to convey to Congress: Support embryo adoption and President Bush's policy limiting federal funding on embryonic stem-cell research.

The "snowflakes" in question are children who were formerly frozen embryos but are now healthy, active, growing kids. They were adopted under a program — run by a group called Nightlight Christian Adoptions — in which an embryo is given from its biological parents to a couple unable to conceive naturally. The embryo is then implanted in the birth mother, resulting in a full-term pregnancy.

An estimated 400,000 embryos are currently in frozen storage in fertility clinics across the country, and to date 58 babies have been born through the Snowflakes program.

U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Kan., one of the sponsors of Wednesday's gathering, said the purpose of the program "is to take these little children and give them the potential to live the rest of their lives as the gifts from God that they are."

http://www.family.org/cforum/fnif/news/a0033825.cfm

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4. House OKs Bill Limiting Pledge “Under God” Rulings

Thursday, September 23, 2004

WASHINGTON — The House, in an emotionally and politically charged debate six weeks before the election, voted Thursday to protect the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance (search) from further court challenges.

The legislation, promoted by GOP conservatives, would prevent federal courts, including the Supreme Court, from hearing cases challenging the words "under God," a part of the pledge for the past 50 years.

To read entire article:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,133313,00.html

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5. House Votes to Crack Down on Video Voyeurism

Calls practice the new frontier of stalking

The Associated Press

Updated: 5:47 p.m. ET Sept. 21, 2004

WASHINGTON - Calling video voyeurism the new frontier of stalking, the House on Tuesday approved legislation to make it a crime to secretly photograph or videotape people, often for lascivious purposes.

Under the legislation passed by voice vote, video voyeurism on federal lands would be punishable by a fine of not more than $100,000 or imprisonment for up to one year, or both.

Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., chairman of the Judiciary Committee, said the issue of surreptitious videotaping has become “a huge privacy concern” with the miniaturization of technology and the proliferation of cell phone cameras.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6066225/

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6. Ending Modern Day Slavery: U.S. Efforts To Combat Trafficking in Persons

Paula J. Dobriansky, Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs

Remarks to the Northern California World Affairs Council

San Francisco, California

March 30, 2004

Good afternoon. Thank you, Jane, for that kind introduction. I’m pleased to be here at the Northern California World Affairs Council in San Francisco to speak about trafficking in persons and the efforts we have undertaken to fight this human tragedy.

“As unimaginable as it seems, slavery and bondage still persist in the early 21st century. Millions of people around the world still suffer in silence in slave-like situations of forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation from which they cannot free themselves. Trafficking in persons is one of the greatest human rights challenges of our time.” These are the opening lines of the State Department’s June 2003 Trafficking in Persons Report.

. . . Separating young women and children from their families and friends and forcing them into involuntary servitude -- including some of the most horrendous and terrifying work one can imagine -- is truly a modern day form of slavery. A strong desire to stop these egregious human rights abuses and terrible crimes prompted the U.S. Congress to act by passing the Trafficking Victims Protection Act in 2000

To read entire article:

http://www.state.gov/g/rls/rm/2004/31063.htm

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COMING EVENTS

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October 11-13, 2004

The Asian/Pacific Dialogue

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

A gathering of renowned speakers including researchers, academicians, policy makers and programme implementers from more than 20 countries in the Asia Pacific Region and other parts of the world will be invited to present their views on family issues in preparation for The Doha International Conference for the Family.

Some of the speakers who will be presenting at the plenary session and workshops are:

Dr. Huang Wei-Jen, USA YM Dr. Tengku Aizan Tengku Abdul Hamid

Dr. Don Browning, USA Malaysia

Prof. Ilhan Yildiz, Turkey Dr. Euston Quah, Singapoer

Prof. Cristian Conen, Mexico Dr. Eun Ki Soo, South Korea

Mr. Paul Henderson, New Zealand Dr. Ekawati S. Wahiuni, Indonesia

Dr. Gavin Jones, Singapore Dr. John Keown, UK

Dr. John Harvey, USA

Who should attend:

Researchers and academicians

Policy analysts and programme implementers

Social Services professionals and Family experts

Counsellors and Educators

Representatives of social and community support groups

Members of the community committed to family issues

To register online: www.lppkn.gov.my/apfd

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November 29-30, 2004

The Doha International Conference for the Family

Doha, Qatar

The Doha International Conference for the Family follows upon the

celebration of the International Year of the Family and will be a

two-day conference in Doha, Qatar, under the patronage of Her

Highness Sheikha Mouza Bint Nasser Al-Misnad., Consort of His

Highness The Emir of Qatar and President of Supreme Council for

Family Affairs, State of Qatar.

The conference represents an international assemblage, bringing

together international VIPs, governmental and non-governmental

organizations (NGOs), scholars, academicians, and civil society

leaders who will be invited by the State of Qatar to participate in

a family conference. This conference will call upon all nations of

the world to restate the principles related to family life embodied

in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and to adhere to

values and endeavor to promote the role of the family as it is the

natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to

protection by society and state.

To register online: www.dicf.org.qa

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Note: The preceding article excerpts are highlights of current events and

do not necessarily represent the views of the World Family Policy Center

or Brigham Young University.

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Newsletter created and distributed by:

World Family Policy Center

J. Reuben Clark Law School

Brigham Young University

Managing Director: Richard Wilkins

Executive Director: A. Scott Loveless

Newsletter Editors: Joy S. Lundberg and Gary B. Lundberg

If you have any articles, editorials, or papers you would like

circulated through the WFPC News network, you may submit them to

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