‘Family Month’ backer cites biology, declining birth rates in defense of resolution

By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributor
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Illinois Family Institute Executive Director David Smith is praising a proposal from U.S. Rep. Mary Miller to designate June as “Family Month,” instead of Pride Month, calling the resolution a needed cultural shift toward traditional family structures.

Miller in a news release said strong families are where children learn responsibility, faith, hard work, and respect for others.

“That is why I recently introduced a resolution to designate June as Family Month,” stated Miller. “Statistics are showing marriage rates have declined, fertility rates have fallen below replacement levels, and fewer young Americans are choosing to start families. These trends have lasting consequences for our economy, our communities, and our future.”

Smith told The Center Square he strongly supports the measure, saying it highlights what he described as society’s foundational values.

“I don’t want to use the word proud, but I am thrilled that Rep. Mary Miller has introduced that resolution in Congress designating June as Family Month.”

Smith argued that marriage and child-rearing within heterosexual households are central to social stability, framing that structure as both biologically and culturally ideal.

“The nuclear family is God’s design. So Judeo-Christian understanding of what a family is, is God’s design.”

He also said children benefit from having both male and female parental roles in the home, describing those roles as complementary in raising well-rounded children.

“Mom was saying to the children, slow down, be careful… Dad was saying, faster, higher, stronger,” said Smith.

When asked about concerns that such a resolution excludes LGBTQ families, Smith said same-sex couples cannot biologically have children and argued that children benefit from having both a mother and a father in the home.

“There is no way that a same-sex couple can produce a child… biology doesn’t allow it.”

Smith also pointed to broader demographic concerns, including declining birth rates and what he described as a global population crisis.

“We are at an all-time low in the United States as well as the rest of the world… there are more adult diapers sold in Japan than baby diapers.”

The interview with The Center Square also touched on maternal health trends, including rising C-section rates, which Smith suggested may be influenced by medical convenience and broader systemic issues affecting childbirth practices.