Louisiana Family Forum
{{Short description|Non-profit group in Louisiana}}
File:Louisiana Family Forum Logo.jpg
Louisiana Family Forum (LFF) is a social conservative non-profit group based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The organization supports Louisiana's covenant marriage law and opposes abortion and same-sex marriage. The group's stated mission is to "persuasively present biblical principles in the centers of influence on issues affecting the family through research, communication and networking."{{cite web
|date=
|author=
|url=http://www.lafamilyforum.org/site100-01/1001014/ei.cfm?M=102&SM=&SC=100000&W=C&P=N&S=1001014&U=1&SS=1
|title=Louisiana Family Forum: Our Mission
|publisher=
|accessdate=2007-11-06}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}} According to its website the group "maintains a close working relationship with Focus on the Family and Family Research Council" and is part of a network of individual state Family Policy Councils. In 2023, the Southern Poverty Law Center designated it as a hate group.{{Cite web |title=Hate Map |url=https://www.splcenter.org/hate-map |access-date=2024-06-05 |website=Southern Poverty Law Center |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Anti-LGBTQ |url=https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/ideology/anti-lgbtq |access-date=2024-06-05 |website=Southern Poverty Law Center |language=en}}
History
Louisiana Family Forum was founded in Baton Rouge in 1998 by a group of citizens, including retired City Court Judge Darrell White, former State Representative Tony Perkins, and LSU law professor Katherine Spaht.
The organization is currently headed by Executive Director Gene Mills, while Judge White and former State Senator Dan Richey serve as consultants. Louisiana Family Forum is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit organization.[https://archive.today/20120805224258/http://www400.sos.louisiana.gov/cgibin?rqstyp=crpdtlC&rqsdta=34571677N Louisiana Secretary of State / Selected Business Detailed Data]
The Family Forum honors a Louisiana state legislator each year for the member's advocacy of moral principles and family values.{{cite web|url=http://www.lafamilyforum.org/action%20center |title=LaFamilyForum |publisher=LaFamilyForum |accessdate=July 15, 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100307043157/http://www.lafamilyforum.org/action%20center |archivedate=March 7, 2010 }}
Political advocacy
Louisiana Family Forum Action (LFF Action), is a 501(c)(4) tax-exempt non-profit organization advocacy group formed by LFF. Dan Richey, who holds the title of Grassroots Coordinator for LFF Action, joined the organization as a consultant in 2005. Prior to his work with LFF Action, Richey was a paid consultant in David Vitter's 2004 U.S. Senate campaign.{{cite web
|date= September 22, 2007
|author= Walsh, David
|url= http://blog.nola.com/times-picayune/2007/09/vitter_earmarked_federal_money.html
|title= Vitter earmarked federal money for creationist group
|publisher= Times-Picayune
|accessdate= 2007-09-24
|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071213150447/http://blog.nola.com/times-picayune/2007/09/vitter_earmarked_federal_money.html
|archive-date= December 13, 2007
|url-status= dead
}} Records show that Vitter's campaign employed Beryl Amedee of Gray in Terrebonne Parish, then the LFF Education Resource Council chairman and currently the District 51 Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives. In 2007, Amedee was named LFF education chairman."Beryl Amedee, the new Chair of the Louisiana Family Forum Education Resource Council, has called a meeting of the group for Wednesday, March 21, 2007" |url=http://www.lafamilyforum.us/FFarchives/v9i11.htm{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}>
2007 earmark
{{wikinews|Senator David Vitter to earmark $100,000 for creationist group}}
In September 2007, U.S. Senator Vitter earmarked $100,000 in a health and education financing bill for fiscal year 2008; the earmark specifies payment to the Louisiana Family Forum "to develop a plan to promote better science education." This received national attention and was later cut from the bill after Vitter yielded to opposing political pressure.{{cite web
|date=September 24, 2007
|author=
|url=http://ncse.com/news/2007/09/earmark-louisiana-creationist-group-001253
|title= Earmark for Louisiana creationist group?
|publisher= National Center for Science Education
|accessdate=2009-11-06}}{{cite web|date=October 19, 2007 |url=http://pewforum.org/news/display.php?NewsID=14359&IssueID=48 |title=Senator Cuts $100,000 From Religious Group |publisher=The Pew Forum |accessdate=2007-11-06 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080306060322/http://pewforum.org/news/display.php?NewsID=14359 |archivedate=March 6, 2008 }}