Enemy of the (Tar Heel) State: the North Carolina Family Policy Council
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
It's nice to know who your enemies are, if you're a woman or queer and living in NC. I came across this "independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit research and education organization" while visiting in Freeperville (see, it's helpful to surf there!). The North Carolina Family Policy Council is a chip off of the AFA or Focus on the Family block -- "Advocating Traditional Family Values." It was celebrating North Carolina's D grade on pro-choice options. NCFPC is yet another organization that wants to control a woman's womb.
North Carolina earned a "D" on the latest report card from one of the nation's leading abortion advocacy groups, NARAL Pro-Choice America. Released January 15, the annual report from NARAL entitled, Who Decides? The Status of Women's Reproductive Rights in the United States, examined the abortion laws and legislative make-up of each state, as well as the possible impact of a future Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade.
NARAL's report on the Tar Heel state found that 78 percent of North Carolina counties do not have an abortion provider, and the the General Assembly is "mixed" on the issue of abortion. The report also referred to Wake County's battles over sex education, noting that, "recent pro-choice improvements to sex education in Wake County, North Carolina have been whittled away by opponents of choice." The following laws also helped North Carolina earn a "D" in the report: 1) a requirement that only physicians perform abortions; 2) a refusal clause that "allows certain individuals or entities to refuse to provide women specific reproductive health services, information or referrals;" 3) restrictions on low-income women's access to abortion (i.e., since 1995, the State Abortion Fund only pays for abortion in the case of rape, incest or when the life of the mother is at risk); 4) a parental-consent requirement for minors seeking abortions; and 5) what NARAL calls "burdensome restrictions on abortion providers," (i.e., North Carolina law mandates minimum health standards for abortion providers/clinics, and requires abortions after the 20th week of pregnancy be performed in a licensed hospital).
Moving right along, NCFPC is of course, eager for NC to pass a marriage amendment. The web site is chock full of "homosexual issues" that they want to make sure legislators are aware of. Some policy papers for your entertainment (PDFs):
The organization makes no bones about what its intent is -- NCFPC will be lobbying, or as they refer to it, "educating" members of the North Carolina General Assembly by providing bogus science and research materials. NCFPC also has a radio show, a 15-minute program that airs on quite a few stations, none in major market areas.Special Rights for Homosexuals: Why sexual orientation should not be a protected class Should Homosexuals Adopt?: Why adoption is not a homosexual "rights" issue The Essence of Marriage: Why It Is Only the Union of a Man and a Woman Defining Marriage: What's Wrong With Letting Same-Sex Couples Marry Domestic Partner Benefits: Chipping Away at Marriage and the Traditional Family Homosexual Indoctrination: How Safety Is Used to Promote Homosexuality in Schools
Here is its board of directors.
Phone Numbers
Main Office Number: (919) 807-0800
Main Office Fax: (919) 807-0900
Email and Website
admin@ncfamily.org
www.ncfamily.org
