For its first act, Brown traveled to Cape Town, South Africa where he introduced something called the Cape Town Declaration.
Brian Brown of the International Organisation for Family launching the Cape Town Declaration. #capetowndec pic.twitter.com/41o6zI5OZ7
— Lyle Shelton (@LyleShelton) December 10, 2016
The declaration, as reported by the racist far right wing propaganda machine that is Breitbart News, is “pro-family” and “defies LGBT culture,” with signatories that include “hundreds of religious, political, social, and civic leaders from all the continents.” PinkNews reports they include conservative religious movements in Africa, as well as support in Russia, Australia and central Europe.
And according to PinkNews, the IOF will fight LGBT! rights “on a range of issues, and may even oppose reforms to repeal archaic sodomy laws.”
The document itself makes two points clear: marriage is between one straight man and one straight woman:
“We affirm the dignity of marriage as the conjugal bond of man and woman. We embrace it not as the parochial practice of any sect or nation or age, but as the patrimony of all mankind. We defend it not as a matter of preference or temperament or taste but as the heart of any just social order.”
Not only does the IOF’s declaration rule out same-sex marriage, it carries a warning to LGBTQ-friendly corporations and reinforces a homophobic message from Pope Francis:
“A thriving culture will therefore serve marriage—and all society—by promoting purity outside it and fidelity within; by discouraging pornography, adultery and divorce; and by firmly resisting every push to redefine marriage: to include same-sex or group bonds, or sexually open or temporary ones.
We rededicate ourselves to honoring, restoring, and protecting these truths. We commit, where possible, to refuse to deal with corporations that deny them. We pledge to resist the rising cultural imperialism of Western powers whose governments seek nothing less than the ideological colonization of the family.”
That last line of what Right Wing Watch calls the manifesto, about the “ideological colonization of the family” is word for word borrowed from a phrase repeatedly employed by Pope Francis: “ideological colonization.”
“Forcing the agenda of same-sex ‘marriage’ on nations by manipulation of foreign aid or the like is a deplorable practice,” reported Breitbart, quoting Brown.
“As you may know, NOM has increasingly been asked to play a role in preserving marriage in other countries that have been dealing with many of the issues we’ve confronted here in the US.
“I’ve spoken about marriage all over the world, and have been targeted by LGBT extremists groups for doing so… but no amount of attacks from LGBT extremists like the HRC will deter me from proclaiming the truth of marriage whenever and wherever it is under attack.
“I want to introduce you to a new organization that will take the global fight to preserve and protect marriage to a whole new level, allowing NOM to be able to focus fully on the continuing fight here at home. It is called the International Organization for the Family (IOF).
“I will be the president of IOF while continuing to lead NOM. IOF is assembling a coalition of allies to take the worldwide lead in fighting for marriage, religious liberty, parental rights, the truth of gender and other issues central to the pro-family movement.
“With the advent of IOF, NOM will be able to focus all our efforts here in America, where we have tremendous opportunities to reshape the culture and legal climate for marriage.
The group plans to built a network of anti-gay activists across the world, according to PinkNews. RWW lists four main projects for IOF:
- The World Congress of Families, of which Brown is also president, convenes major international public events to unite and equip leaders, organizations, and families to affirm, celebrate and defend the natural family as the only fundamental and sustainable unit of society.
- The Natural Family: A Journal of International Research and Public Policy (TNF) is a quarterly academic publication that informs and inspires leaders to promote the natural family as the fundamental group unit of society and to protect the sanctity and dignity of all human life.
- The Article 16 Initiative empowers leaders in worldwide institutions to protect freedom, faith, and family as the natural and fundamental group unit of society consistent with Article 16 of the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
- The Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) equips and empowers young professionals, scholars, and activists to promote the natural family as the fundamental group unit of society.
This is the latest antigay move by Brown, who in August called for a new ban on same-sex weddings because gay people are more likely to be abusive to their partners. He cited a study by anti-transgender activist Dr. Paul McHugh in an email to supporters, which claimed:
“Non-heterosexual and transgender people have higher rates of mental health problems (anxiety, depression, suicide), as well as behavioral and social problems (substance abuse, intimate partner violence), than the general population.”
McHugh has long been discredited for his anti-trans propaganda.
