Family Foundation of Virginia

Family Foundation of Virginia is a socially conservative and Christian fundamentalist lobbying organization headquartered in the US city of Richmond, Virginia. It was focused originally on opposition to sex education. It has expanded to opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment, nondiscrimination policies[2], and same-sex marriage. The organization supports legal conversion therapy for minors[3] and increased legal restriction on abortion.[4]

Family Foundation of Virginia
Established1985
FounderWalter Barbee
52-1425355 (EIN)
Key people
Victoria Cobb, President
Budget
Revenue: $1,034,803
Expenses: $959,299
(Tax year 2017)[1]
Websitewww.familyfoundation.org

Family Foundation of Virginia is a Family Policy Council, meaning it is affiliated with Focus on the Family.[5] An associated 501(c)(4) organization, Family Foundation Action, is used for political advertising, which the Family Foundation of Virginia's 501(c)(3) tax status prohibits it from.[6][7]

History

Founding by Walter Barbee

Family Foundation of Virginia was founded in 1985 by Walter Barbee.[8] Barbee has stated that the roots of the organization go back to a county-level organization he formed in 1982, the Price William County Concerned Citizens Council, to oppose a sex education program for public schools.[9]

In 1988 Barbee was calling his organization Virginia Concerned Citizens Council. Barbee appeared together with Christian author Josh McDowell before the Virginia State Board of Education to argue against Family Life Education, a program that included sex education, and the "myth that teen-agers want to be sexually active."[10]

In 1993 Family Foundation of Virginia advocated against a lesbian mother in a custody dispute, Bottoms v. Bottoms, asking for "child protection based on the mother's sexual behavior."[11] In this dispute, Virginia parent Sharon Bottoms was sued for custody of her son by the son's grandmother, Kay Bottoms, who viewed her daughter as an unfit parent because of her relationship with another woman. Upon learning that the judge, citing Virginia's sodomy law, had taken custody from Sharon Bottoms, Family Foundation spokeswoman Anne Kincaid commended the judge: "it took a lot of courage to draw this line."[12]

Formalizing by Victoria Cobb

Leadership of the organization passed to Victoria Cobb in 2004. A magazine profile of Cobb states that she "spearheaded a formalizing of the group's issue areas — officially they are life, marriage, parental authority, constitutional government and religious liberty".[13]

Family Foundation of Virginia strongly advocated for the 2006 Marshall-Newman Amendment, which added legal prohibition of same-sex marriage to the Constitution of Virginia. Executive director Cobb wrote in support that "most of us believe and understand that traditional marriage is a good thing and that kids need both a mom and a dad."[14] The organization placed phone calls to 2.1 million Virginia households in 2006, asking about gay marriage as a part of a political survey. Larry Sabato, a political scientist at the University of Virginia, called the survey "baloney," believing it was instead an effort to drive voter turnout.[15] The 2006 Amendment would be overturned by federal judge Arenda Wright Allen in 2014.[16] Cobb reacted saying that the state "has no interest in affirming the love of its citizens, but it does have an interest in protecting children."[17]

Cobb criticized a court's 2006 decision to dismiss a felony charge against a pregnant Virginia woman who had used cocaine to ease cramping during labor. She said her organization would investigate criminalizing drug use by pregnant women.[18]

Family Foundation of Virginia opposed a 2006 proposed LGBT employment anti-discrimination law; Cobb described the proposal as "another legislative attempt to force people to believe that homosexuality is as immutable as the color of a person's skin."[19]

In 2007 the organization lobbied for legislation to end no-fault divorce for married couples with children.[20]

In 2012 Family Foundation of Virginia lobbied against the nomination of Tracy Thorne-Begland as a district judge, accusing him of "a violation of the military oath" because he had come out as gay while serving in the Navy during the Don't ask, don't tell policy era.[21] Thorne-Begland's nomination was not confirmed. The gay rights group Equality Virginia issued a statement saying this was the result of pressure by the Family Foundation.[22]

Blocking the ERA

In January of 2019 Virginia was poised to become the 38th state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), which would have caused the amendment to cross the constitutional threshold of the number of state ratifications required of amendments.[23] Family Foundation of Virginia lobbied against the ERA. In an editorial, Victoria Cobb wrote that she was able to "lead an organization, earning the same pay as [her] male colleagues" without the ERA, "a vague amendment promising vague rights."[24]

The 2019 ERA ratification in Virginia failed by one vote.[23] The Washington Post called Cobb "the new Phyllis Schlafly" for her role in defeating the amendment.[25] Delegate Margaret Ransone, who voted against the ERA, spoke at a press conference held by Family Foundation of Virginia; she noted that most of those who had worked to oppose the ERA were women. [26]

Virginia's legislature passed the ERA in 2020. Victoria Cobb said the amendment would "erase the entire notion of gender."[27]

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References
  1. "Form 990 for period ending December 2018". ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. 2018. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
  2. Cobb, Victoria. "Stafford school board ignores parents concerns". The Family Foundation. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  3. Hetzler, Josh (September 16, 2019). "VA health boards are literally banning the Gospel". The Family Foundation. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  4. "Life". The Family Foundation. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  5. "Allies". Family Policy Alliance. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
  6. "The Family Foundation Action". The Family Foundation. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
  7. Ring, Trudy (October 31, 2019). "Danica Roem Hit With Transphobic Ad as Virginia Election Looms". The Advocate. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
  8. "Commending the Family Foundation of Virginia.". Resolution No. 63 of 2009. Virginia House of Delegates.
  9. Rozell, Mark J.; Wilcox, Clyde (1996). "Second Coming: The Strategies of the New Christian Right". Political Science Quarterly. 111 (2): 276. doi:10.2307/2152322. JSTOR 2152322.
  10. "Sed ed opponents seek celibacy focus". Daily Press. Newport News, Virginia. Associated Press. February 9, 1988. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
  11. "Lesbian fights to get her son back". Daily Press. Newport News, Virginia. September 6, 1993. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  12. Ayres, B. Drummond, Jr. (September 9, 1993). "Judge's Decision In Custody Case Raises Concerns". New York Times. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  13. Tisdale, Sara Dabney (September 29, 2010). "Cobb's Web". Style Weekly. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
  14. "Amendment is crucial to protecting marriage". Daily Press. Newport News, Virginia. May 21, 2006. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  15. Bull, John M.R. (October 4, 2006). "Conservative group blankets Va. with calls". Daily Press. Newport News, Virginia. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  16. Eckholm, Erik (February 14, 2014). "Federal Judge Overturns Virginia's Same-Sex Marriage Ban". New York Times. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  17. Dujardin, Peter (February 15, 2019). "Sharp divide on Va. Ruling". Daily Press. Newport News, Virginia. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  18. Sabo, Matt (January 22, 2006). "Ruling spurs call for change". Daily Press. Newport News, Virginia. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  19. Helderman, Rosalind S. (February 6, 2006). "Senate to weight gay workers' protection". Daily Press. Newport News, Virginia. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  20. "Mutual consent divorce forces government into private lives". The News Leader. Staunton, Virginia. January 14, 2007. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  21. "General Assembly Votes to Ensure Judicial Integrity". The Family Foundation. May 15, 2012. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  22. Tavernise, Sabrina (May 15, 2012). "Gay Prosecutor Is Denied Virginia Judgeship Despite Bipartisan Support". The New York Times. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  23. Suderman, Alan (February 21, 2019). "Bid to revive Equal Rights Amendment in Virginia fails by 1 vote". WHSV. Harrisonburg, Virginia. Associated Press. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  24. Cobb, Victoria (March 4, 2018). "Modern feminism commands respect - without the ERA". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  25. Dvorak, Petula (January 31, 2019). "This woman just derailed the Equal Rights Amendment yet again". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  26. Cobb, Victoria (January 10, 2019). Pro-Life Groups Oppose The Equal Rights Amendment In Virginia (Video). Richmond, Virginia: Students for Life. Event occurs at 35:00. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  27. Cobb, Victoria (January 28, 2020). "VA House and Senate Pass Moot ERA". The Family Foundation. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
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