Friday, November 19, 2010

Anti-Gay Bigots Launch New Iowa Group

Not content with removing three justices from the Iowa Supreme court for having applied the Iowa constitution as written and across the board and striking down state bans on same sex marriage, the always toxic Iowa Family Policy Center has announced the formation of a new organization that will further that group's anti-gay agenda. The new organization named "The Family Leader" - maybe in keeping with IFPC's Nazi like approach to those who reject theocracy - will also likely be used as a vehicle to funnel in money from outside of Iowa from sources like NOM, the Catholic Church, Knights of Columbus and, of course, the Mormon Church. Oh, yes, IFPC claims otherwise, but as with most Christianists, if their lips are moving, one can be pretty safe in assuming that they are lying. One can only imagine the religious extremist that this new organization will back. Here are highlights from the Iowa Independent:
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IFPC’s The Family Leader will be an umbrella group led by former gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaats, fresh from his successful campaign to oust three Iowa Supreme Court justices for their 2009 gay marriage ruling. The new group will incorporate the Iowa Family Policy Center, the IFPC PAC and the formerly federally funded program Marriage Matters. More specifics about the group are expected to be announced this weekend at IFPC’s annual fundraiser featuring possible 2012 presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee.
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Vander Plaats told the Des Moines Register that the main focus of the group will be vetting and endorsing 2012 presidential candidates.
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According to 990 tax forms, the national Family Leader Network was founded in 2006 and is based in Fairfax, Va. However, there is no such entity listed with the Virginia Secretary of the Commonwealth. The 990 was filed by a board member of The Family Leader Network based in Utah, but the Utah Secretary of State has no record of the organization either.
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Much like the IFPC’s The Family leader, the national Family Leader’s mission is “to develop public policy that supports traditional marriage and family” as well as fight “the homosexual agenda in the classroom.” Request for comment from the national Family Leader Network by The Iowa Independent wasn’t returned.

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