| Founder(s) | Phyllis Schlafly |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1972 |
| Location | Alton, Illinois; Clayton, Missouri; Washington, D.C. |
| Key people | Phyllis Schlafly |
| Members | 80,000[1] |
| Motto | "Leading the pro-family movement since 1972" |
| Website | www.eagleforum.org |
Eagle Forum is a conservative interest group in the United States founded by Phyllis Schlafly in 1972 and is the parent organization that also includes the Eagle Forum Education and Legal Defense Fund and the Eagle Forum PAC.[2] The Eagle Forum has been primarily focused on social issues; it describes itself as pro-family and reports membership of 80,000.[1][2] Others have described it as socially conservative,[2] and anti-feminist.[3][4] As of October 2011[update], Phyllis Schlafly continues to be the president of the organization.[5]
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In 1967, Phyllis Schlafly launched the Eagle Trust Fund for receiving donations related to conservative causes.[6] After the 1972 proposal of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), Schlafly reorganized her efforts to defeat its ratification, founding the group "Stop ERA"[7] and starting the Eagle Forum Newsletter. In 1975 Stop ERA was renamed the Eagle Forum.[7]
The Eagle Forum Education and Legal Defense Fund was organized in 1981 as a non-profit wing of Eagle Forum.[8] It is a tax deductible charity under Internal Revenue Service (IRS) code.[9]
The Eagle Forum PAC began receiving donations in 1993[10] and has served as a the source for candidate endorsements from the Eagle Forum and has donated money to various candidates that the organization People for the American Way has described as "right-wing".[2]
Eagle Forum members have often worked within the Republican Party. The Texas state Eagle Forum chairperson, Cathie Adams, for instance, was named Republican national committeewoman from Texas at the state convention in 2008 and then in October 2009 was chosen as interim chairperson of the Republican Party of Texas.
The Eagle Forum is involved primarily in conservative issues. The organization is opposed to the legalization of abortion, against international oversight from the United Nations or the International Criminal Court, supportive of English-only education in schools, supportive of women's role as "fulltime homemakers",[11] and opposed to same-sex marriage.[12] Circa 2006, Eagle Forum began preparations to fight the introduction of the amero Northern American currency. They support those saying Christopher Columbus is a hero. It has also been active in the anti-vaccination movement, particularly fighting mandatory hepatitis B vaccination requirements for newborn babies,[13] and opposition to sex education in the public school system.[14][2] On its website, the Eagle Forum publishes a weekly column written by Phyllis Schlafly.[15] Eagle Forum also opposes movements which would call for an Article V constitutional convention, stating that (based on the opinions of noted constitutional scholars such as former United States Supreme Court Justice Warren Berger) such a "con con" (its terminology) could not be limited in scope, and thus could draft a whole new Constitution which might be contrary to the desires of the convention callers.
Two youth-oriented programs are also operated by the Forum: the "Teen Eagles" program for children ages 13–19,[16] and the "Eagle Forum Collegians" for conservatively-minded college students.[17] Eagle Forum maintains offices in Clayton, Missouri;[18] Alton, Illinois; and Washington, D.C,[1] and has established chapters in 30 states.[2] Eagle Forum operates "Eagle Forum University", a "continuing education" program that offers conservative-oriented online courses on various topics.[19]
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