Alliance for Marriage

Alliance for Marriage (AFM) is a coalition founded in 1999 by attorney Matt Daniels in Arlington, Virginia, "to promote an amendment to the U.S. Constitution seeking to define marriage solely as between 'a man and a woman'." 

AFM is "a 501(c)(3) non-profit research and education organization dedicated to promoting marriage and addressing the epidemic of fatherless families in the United States," its website states. 

2001
"On July 12, 2001, the Alliance for Marriage held a public press conference in which it revealed plans to lobby for the Federal Marriage Amendment." 

2002
The "pro-family" Alliance for Marriage "announced the introduction" of the Federal Marriage Amendment, "an amendment to the U.S. Constitution designed to protect marriage as a union between one man and one woman" on May 15, 2002, in the U.S. House of Representatives "with strong bi-partisan support." 

The Amendment's primary sponsor was former Mississippi Democratic Congressman Ronnie Shows with bi-partisan cosponsors Reps. David Phelps (D-IL), Ralph Hall (D-TX), Sue Myrick (R-NC), Jo Ann Davis (R-VA) and Chris Cannon (R-UT).

2006
Present at the June 5, 2006, Rose Garden Federal Marriage Amendment (FMA) endorsement speech by President George W. Bush was the Alliance for Marriage which "wrote the amendment language." Described as "diverse, both ethnically and in its religious beliefs, though united in its belief that gay marriage is wrong," the Alliance for Marriage was represented by its founder, Matt Daniels, "who was raised by a single mother on welfare in Queens and has used his personal story as moral collateral to lobby tirelessly in favor of two-parent, heterosexual families." 

Daniels "argued that, more than energizing the base, the gay marriage issue unifies Americans" and that "support for what he called traditional families goes beyond partisan, political lines and has great strength in traditionally Democratic blocks of ethnic minorities — blacks and Latinos." 

Mission
"AFM exists to educate the public, the media, elected officials, and civil society leaders on the benefits of marriage for children, adults and society. AFM also exists to promote reforms designed to strengthen the institution of marriage and restore a culture of married fatherhood in American society," its website states. 

Leadership

 * Matt Daniels, J.D., Ph.D., President

Board of Advisors
The current list of the AFM Board of Advisors (July 2006) is found here.

Contact Information
Alliance for Marriage P.O. Box 2490 Merrifield, VA 22116 Phone: 703 934-1212 FAX: 703 934-1211 Email: info AT allianceformarriage.org Website: http://www.allianceformarriage.org/

Related SourceWatch/Congresspedia Resources

 * Alliance Defense Fund
 * American Family Association
 * American Values Agenda
 * Arlington Group
 * Defense of Marriage Act
 * Dominionism
 * Federal Marriage Amendment
 * Focus on the Family
 * same-sex marriage
 * Samuel Rodriguez, Jr.

2000

 * David Limbaugh, "On a mission for marriage," WorldNetDaily, September 5, 2000.
 * Jose Carnevali, "New Ecumenical Alliance Emphasizes Marriage," Arlington Catholic Herald, September 7, 2000.

2001

 * "Group Pushes Gay Marriage Ban," Associated Press (CBS News), July 10, 2001.
 * Julia Goldman, "O.U. Bolts An Alliance Forged With Muslim Body. Kosher Seal to Group That Tripped Hillary," Forward, July 20, 2001.
 * Hadley Arkes, "Gay Rights and Federalism. An improbable marriage," National Review Online, August 6, 2001.
 * Daniel Pipes, "Legitimizing Extremist Groups in U.S. Letter to the Editor" and "The Politics of Broad Alliances," The Forward, September 14, 2001.
 * Sheryl Henderson Blunt, "Defining Marriage. Conservatives advocate amendment to preserve traditional matrimony," Christianity Today, October 1, 2001.

2002

 * "National coalition promotes federal heterosexual marriage amendment," People For the American Way, 2002.
 * "Alliance for Marriage Pushes Constitutional Amendment," Traditional Values Coalition, May 15, 2002.
 * Heather Havrilesky, "On bended knee. Pro-marriage revivalists praise matrimony as the way and the light. But are they bowing to a false god?" Salon, June 24, 2002.

2003

 * Stanley Kurtz, "Media Blackout. The marriage amendment gets the silent treatment," National Review Online, September 8, 2003.
 * Jeremy Leaming, "Alliance for marriage employs divisive rhetoric in campaign to change U.S. Constitution," Church & State (FindArticles.com), October 2003.
 * Jack Balkin, "The Conservative Case for Same Sex Marriage," Balkinization Blogspot, November 22, 2003.
 * "AFM’S Federal Marriage Amendment Introduced in Senate," Catholic Online, November 25, 2003.
 * Alan Cooperman, "Opponents of Gay Marriage Divided," Washington Post (Pew Forum), December 2, 2003.
 * Rod Dreher, "What the Alliance for Marriage heads and board members either don't know or don't want you to know," Jewish World Review, December 5, 2003.

2004

 * Evan Gahr, "Outed and Out. Muslim group leaves Alliance For Marriage's queer coalition just weeks after exposure by JewishWorldReview.com," Jewish World Review, January 16, 2004.
 * Greg Pierce, Inside Politics: "Parting ways," Washington Times, January 16, 2004.
 * Transcript: CNN Live Saturday: "Defining Marriage: To Amend or Not to Amend?" CNN, January 24, 2004.
 * Karen S. Peterson, "Man behind the marriage amendment," USA TODAY, April 12, 2004.
 * "Support for marriage seen as crucial to Bush's win of second term," Catholic News Service, November 5, 2004.

2005

 * "Group Wants Congress Action on Marriage Protection," NewsMax, July 21, 2005.

2006

 * "Alliance for Marriage Applauds Majority Leader Frist's Scheduling of Marriage Vote," U.S. Newswire, February 10, 2006.
 * John Romanowsky, "Saving Marriage: An Interview with Matt Daniels," Godspy, March 28, 2006.
 * Kim Trobee, "Alliance for Marriage Forms Coalition on a Federal Marriage Amendment. The Alliance for Marriage is busy forming a coalition with left-leaning leaders who support traditional marriage," Family News in Focus/Focus on the Family, April 20, 2006.
 * David D. Kirkpatrick, "A Religious Push Against Gay Unions," New York Times, April 24, 2006.
 * Collette M. Jenkins, "Stances framed on gay unions. As Senate debate nears, backers of constitutional ban say it would protect marriage; foes say it's discriminatory, denies equality," Akron Beacon Journal (Ohio), May 28, 2006.
 * Eba Hamid, "Debate Heats Up as Senate Prepares for Same-Sex Marriage Vote," AXcess News, June 2, 2006.
 * Z. Byron Wolf, "No Rose Garden for Bush's Anti-Gay Marriage Speech. A Day in the Life of the Gay Marriage Debate on Capitol Hill," ABC News, June 5, 2006.
 * Richard Welty, "Alliance for Marriage" and "Alliance for Marriage update," spamvertized, June 5, 2006.
 * "Alliance for Marriage Marks Vote on Marriage Amendment," U.S. Newswire, June 7, 2006.
 * "Alliance for Marriage press conference prior to the president's address on the constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.," YouTube, June 8, 2006.
 * Debra Rosenberg, "Politics of the Altar. GOP leaders are putting gay marriage back on the agenda. Will voters respond?" Newsweek (MSNBC), June 12, 2006 (issue).