LETTER BY PRO-FAMILY LEADERS WORLDWIDE PROTESTING PARTICIPATION OF THE U.S. EMBASSY IN PRAGUE “GAY PRIDE” PARADE Initiated by World Congress of Families We the undersigned pro-family and pro-life leaders vigorously protest the participation of the United States Embassy in the Czech Republic in a so-called gay-pride parade which will take place on August 18. As representatives of the international pro-family movement, we note the following: • At the directive of the president of the United States, Washington is aggressively promoting the “gay’’ agenda internationally, including same-sex “marriage” and the stigmatization and marginalization of any who object to the same. • The Obama’s administration’s embrace of “same-sex marriage” has been overwhelmingly rejected by the American people. There have been 32 state referenda on marriage. In every one of them, voters endorsed the natural definition of marriage (a man and a woman). The North Carolina vote, on May 8, was 61% in favor of natural marriage. • The United Nations has never affirmed homosexual “marriage” or rights. • The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (adopted by the General Assembly on December 10, 1948) provides that “Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family.” • Article 16, Section 3 of the Declaration further defines the family as “the natural and fundamental group unit of society” which is “entitled to protection by society and the State.” • It stands to reason, then, that anything which undermines the family – including changing the definition of marriage – is a breach of the State’s responsibility to protect this indispensable institution which precedes government and makes a stable and free society possible. • The Madrid Declaration of World Congress of Families VI (May 25-27, 2012) -- which was unanimously adopted by more than 3,200 delegates from 72 countries -- provides, in part: “We affirm the natural family to be the union of a man and a woman through marriage for the purposes of sharing love and joy, propagating children, providing their moral education, building a vital home economy, offering security in times of trouble, and binding the generations.” • Regarding “gay rights,” those caught up in this lifestyle have the same rights as other citizens. This does not include the “right” to force others to validate a lifestyle they find objectionable, for religious or other reasons. It also does not include the right of men to marry men and women to marry women. • The foregoing pseudo-rights do not advance human freedom and dignity but debase them. • We can not imagine a worse form of cultural imperialism than Washington trying to force approval of the “gay” agenda on societies with traditional values. • Finally, we commend Michael Semin, chairman of Akce Dost (Action ENOUGH), and other Czech pro-life and pro-family leaders for their stalwart defense of the natural family. Signed (affiliations for identification purposes) 1. Allan C. Carlson – Founder and International Secretary, World Congress of Families 17. Benjamin W. Bull – Chief Counsel, Alliance Defending Freedham 3. Don Feder – Communications Director, World Congress of Families 19. Roger Kiska – Alliance Defending Freedham , Senior Legal Counsel, Global 2. Lawrence Jacobs – Managing Director, World Congress of Families 4. Brent Bozell – Chairman, For America 5. Scott Lively – President, Defend the Family International 6. Richard A. Viguerie – Chairman, ConservativeHQ.com 7. Silvio Dalla Valle – Executive Director, Luci sull'Est - Associazione per la Difesa dei Valori Cristiani (Italy) 8. Alexey Komov – World Congress of Families Representative in Russia and the CIS. 9. Margaret H. Hartshorn – President, Heartbeat International 10. Carol Soelberg – President, United Families International 11. Christopher Carmouche – Executive Director, GrassTopsUSA 12. Patricia McEwen – Director, Life Coalition International 13. Denise F. Cocciolone – President, National Life Center, Inc. 14. C. Gwendolyn Landolt, – National Vice-President, REAL Women of Canada 15. Dorothy Patterson – Professor of Theology in Women’s Studies, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary 16. Paige Patterson – President, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, former President, Southern Baptist Convention 18. Piero A. Tozzi – Alliance Defending Freedom, Senior Legal Counsel, Global 20. Edmund Adamus – Director for Marriage and Family Life, Diocese of Westminster (England) 21. Christine de Marcellus Vollmer – President, Latin American Alliance for the Family 22. Linda Harvey – Mission America 23. Arthur Goldberg – Co-Director, Jews Offering New Alternatives for Healing 24. David Kupelian – Vice President and Managing Editor, World Net Daily 25. Coach Dave Daubenmire – Pass The Salt Ministries 26. Peter Costea Esq.– President, Alliance of Romania’s Families 27. Rev. Dave Welch – Executive Director, U.S. Pastor Council 28. Dr. Jim Garlow – Chairman, Renewing American Leadership 29. Dr. Janice Shaw Crouse, Ph.D. – Director and Senior Fellow, The Beverly LaHaye Institute, Concerned Women for America 30. Ted Baehr – Chairman, Christian Film and Television Commission 31. Steven Mosher – President, Population Research Institute 32. Louise Kirk – U.K. Coordinator, Alive to the World 33. Sharon Slater – President, Family Watch International 34. Ignacio Arsuaga – HazteOir.org (Speak Out), Spain, organizer World Congress of Families VI (Madrid 2012) 56. Dr. Ligaya A. Acosta – Executive Director, Human Life International-ASIA/OCEANIA. (The Philippines) 36. Brian Burch – President, CathoilcVote.org 58. Evert-Jan Brouwer – Political Adviser (the Netherlands) 35. Peter LaBarbera – Americans for Truth About Homosexuality 37. Tim Wildmon – President, American Family Association 38. C. Preston Noell III – President, Tradition, Family and Property, Inc. 39. Father Frank Pavone – President, Priests for Life 40. Michael van der Mast – Cry for Life (the Netherlands) 41. Julio Severo – Last Days Watchman (Brazil) 42. Igor Beloborodov – International Coordinator of Global Pro-Life Campaign in Defense Life and Natural Family "From Ocean to Ocean" (Russia) 43. Dran Reese – Director, The Salt And Light Council 44. Babette Francis – National & Overseas Coordinator, Endeavour Forum Inc. (Australia) 45. Farooq Hassan – Pakistan Family Forum 46. Rebekah Ali-Gouveia – Elpis Centre (Trinidad) WCF Caribbean Coordinator 47. David Crowe – President, Restore America 48. Matthew Staver – Dean, Liberty University Law School, Chairman, Liberty Counsel 49. Bryan & Camille Seltzer - Director, International Press Association, IPAnews.com 50. Andy Ramirez – Regional Officer, Answers in Genesis 51. Peter Westmore – President, National Civic Council (Australia) 51. William J. Murray – President, Religious Freedom Coalition 52. Mario Romo – Director, Red Familia (The Family Network), Mexico 53. David Carroll – A “Restorer of Values” in San Diego 55. Rabbi Yehuda Levin – Spokesman, Rabbinical Alliance of America (representing 1,200 Orthodox rabbis in the U.S. and Canada) 57. Theresa Okafor – Foundation for African Cultural Heritage (Nigeria) 59. Sarah Flood-Beaubrun – Founder, Caribbean Centre for Family and Human Rights (CARIFAM), St. Lucia 60. Chaplain Gordon James Klingenschmitt – The Pray In Jesus Name Project 61. Bill Donohue – President, Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights 62. Pastor Rick Scarborough – President, Vision America 63. Tom DeLay – former Majority Leader, U.S. House of Representatives 64. Brian Camenker – President, Parents Rights Coalition 65. Andrea Williams – CEO of Christian Concern & Christian Legal Centre (U.K.) 66. Pastor Ade Omooba - Co-Founder, Director, Christian Concern (U.K.) 67. Rachel Wagstaff – member of staff, Christian Concern (U.K.) 68. Andrew Marsh – member of staff, Christian Concern (U.K.) 69. Libby Blaxall – member of the staff, Christian Legal Centre (U.K.) 70. Chloe Butler – member of the staff, Christian Concern 71 Paul Huxley - Christian Concern (U.K.) 72. Kizzy Donaldson – Christian Concern (U.K.) 73. Peter Norris - Christian Concern (U.K.) 74. Suvreet Bagga - Christian Concern (U.K.) 75. Fred Williams – Christian Concern (U.K.) 76. Michaela Optiz – Christian Concern (U.K.) 77. Shirley Richards – Lawyers' Christian Fellowship, Kingston (Jamaica) 78. Judith Gelernter Reisman, Ph.D. – Visiting Professor of Law, Liberty University School of Law 79. Alicia Latorre – President, Spanish Federation of Pro-Life Associations 80. Kris Mineau – President, Massachusetts Family Institute 81. Rabbi Daniel Lapin – President, American Alliance of Jews and Christians 82. John Smeaton –Chief Executive, Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (U.K.) 83. Niall Kennedy – President, International Council of Catholic Men (Unum Omnes) 84. Tom Shields – Chairman, Coalition for Marriage and Family 85. Rocio de la Torre. – Legal Counsel, Mujer para la Mujer (Mother to Mother) A.C., Mexico 86. Dr.Thomas Ward – Vice President and Founder, National Association of Catholic Families (UK) and Corresponding Member of the Pontifical Academy for Life 87. Dr. Russell J. Hilsinger, III – Pastor, Grace Baptist Church, Dallas, Oregon. 88. Luis Tejedor – Youth Coordinator, HazteOir.org. (Spain) 89. Matt Barber – Vice President, Liberty Counsel Action 90. Janet M. LaRue, Esq. 91. Philip A. Moran – Executive Director, Tradition Family Property Association, United Kingdom 92. Michael J. McManus – syndicated columnist and President, Marriage Savers 93. Paul Herzog von Oldenburg – Director of Fédération Pro Europa Christiana, (Brussels) 94. Dr. Jean Garton – Founder and President Emeritus, Lutherans For Life 95. Robert Knight – author and columnist 96. Vakhtang Kipshidze – Journalist, Voice of Russia 95. Pavel Parfentiev – President, For Family Rights NGO (Russia) 97. Tom Hardy – Former Headmaster, Mariamante Academy and Mercy Academy and Board Member of Visitation House 98. Rev Louis P. Sheldon – Chairman and Founder, Traditional Values Coalition 99. Andrea Lafferty – President, Traditional Values Coalition 100. Joseph Meaney – International Secretary, Human Life International 101. Mike Valerio – Mike and Helen Valerio Foundation 102. Jennifer Roback Morse, Ph.D. – President, The Ruth Institute 103. Jean Goyard – The French Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family And Property 104. Michael Pakaluk, Ph.D. – Chairman, Department of Philosophy, Ave Maria University 105. Mike Huckabee – former Governor of Arkansas and FoxNews host 106. Alan Keyes – former U.S. Ambassador to UNESCO 107. Miguel Moreno – President, Trinity Foundation (Bolivia) 108. Alveda King – King for America 109. Diane Gramley – President, American Family Association of Pennsylvania 110. Fr. Maxim Obukhov – Russian pro-life leader 111. Joe Miller – Chairman, Restoring Liberty 112. Rabbi Noson Shmuel Leiter – Executive Director, Torah Jews for Decency. 113. Alberto Vollmer – former Venezuelan Ambassador to the Vatican 114. Dr. Richard Land – President, Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission 115. Rabbi Moshe Bresler – Executive Director, Garden State Parents for Moral Values 116. Father Shenan J. Boquet – President, Human Life International 117. Vanessa Theed – Family Values Committee (U.K.) 118. Rabbi Dovid Eidensohn – author and editor of GenderCentral.com 119. Rabbi Yoel Schonfield – Co President, Vaad Harabbonim (Council of Rabbis) of Queens, N.Y. 120. Paul Diamond – Barrister, Standing Counsel to the Christian Legal Centre.