"[1] According to a Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) Intelligence report the group's name derives from the Old Testament book of Nehemiah, in which the "watchmen" guard the reconstruction of Jerusalem.
"[2] The group was founded by former California American Family Association director Scott Douglas Lively and New Generation Church preacher Alexey Ledyaev.
[4][5] Leaders of the Watchmen support conversion therapy,[6] a controversial practice discouraged by mainstream mental health organizations as detrimental to individuals and society,[7][8][9][note 1] that attempts to change sexual orientation and suppress lesbian, gay and bisexual behaviors.
"[4] The SPLC states, "In Latvia, the Watchmen are popular among Christian fundamentalists and ethnic Russians, and are known for presiding over anti-gay rallies where gays and lesbians are pelted with bags of excrement.
"[2] According to the SPLC the Watchmen have a following among Russian-speaking evangelicals in the Western U.S. among immigrants from the former Soviet Union and members are increasingly active in several cities "long known as gay-friendly enclaves", including Sacramento, Seattle, and Portland.