Pro-choicer on CA law: Don’t make pregnancy centers refer for abortion
by Kelli
To be clear, some crisis pregnancy centers can be shady. They have been known to misleadingly portray themselves as full-service women’s health clinics, or to obscure religious affiliations. They may offer discredited info on things like “the link between abortion and depression,” or engage in what some describe as bullying or pressuring women into carrying pregnancies to term.
But the state really shouldn’t be in the business of deciding what completely non-criminal information a private operation may make available. And many businesses and non-profits have owners with religious beliefs that they don’t necessarily broadcast. In other words, you may condemn these pregnancy centers’ tactics or views, but they’re not de facto doing anything illegal. What’s more, they may doing some good: Despite not offering contraception or abortion advice, the centers do offer things like free pregnancy tests, screenings for sexually transmitted infections, ultrasounds, and baby clothes.
If particular centers are engaging in deceptive or fraudulent practices, then by all means, go after them for that. But the point should be making them be honest about what they are, not trying to turn them into something they’re not.
~ Pro-choicer Elizabeth Nolan Brown (pictured), voicing her objections to California’s Reproductive FACT Act, which “would require pregnancy centers to post notices saying that reproductive health services, including abortion, are available to pregnant women in the state,” Reason.com, May 27
[Photo via reason.com]
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
It’s refreshing to see that this woman not only acknowledges that CPCs can do good for women, she also defends CPCs right to not offer certain services. Thank you, Ms Nolan.
Agreed.
The work that centers are doing is obviously WORKING! CA wouldn’t even bother with them if they weren’t cutting into their profits.
How many babies are slaughtered and women injured at CPC’s again??
If one is against CPCs, one is pro abortion, not pro choice.
“If one is against CPCs, one is pro abortion, not pro choice.”
Yes, I would even go further and say that supporters of California’s Reproductive FACT Act are anti-choice because they don’t want to give pregnancy centres a choice as to whether or not to post certain information.
Why is it so rare and shocking to find a voice of fairness and reason coming from a pro-choice writer?
Thank you, Ms. Brown.
“To be clear, some crisis pregnancy centers can be shady. They have been known to misleadingly portray themselves as full-service women’s health clinics”
You mean at first someone might believe CPCs murder humans, but later they will find out CPCs don’t really murder humans?
The insanity of it all. Shaaaaady.
“They have been known to misleadingly portray themselves as full-service women’s health clinics”
I was told Planned Parenthood offered mammograms as a service to poor women… then I found out they considered a referral to get a mammogram somewhere else as one of their services.
Shady.
“They may offer discredited info on things like “the link between abortion and depression,”
Huh? I would like pro-choicer Elizabeth Nolan Brown to explain to me that if it wasn’t depressing to lie down on a gurnee and raise your spread legs into stirrups to have foreign objects placed up thorugh your vagina and into your womb so they can rip your baby out in bloodied pieces then why does she claim to want to make it rare?
objections to California’s Reproductive FACT Act, which “would require pregnancy centers to post notices saying that reproductive health services, including abortion, are available to pregnant women in the state”
Seems to me that this is not “referring for abortion.” A notice saying that women can get abortions in the state is not really the same thing.
The notice includes a telephone number to call to arrange for a subsidized abortion. The text reads:
California has public programs that provide immediate free or low-cost access to comprehensive family planning services (including all FDA-approved methods of contraception), prenatal care, and abortion, for eligible women. To determine whether you qualify, contact the county social services office at [insert the telephone number].
Not exactly the same as referring directly to an abortion clinic, but clearly quite a bit more than just “a notice saying that women can get abortions in the state”.
Not exactly the same as referring directly to an abortion clinic, but clearly quite a bit more than just “a notice saying that women can get abortions in the state”.
Navi, you are right, and I stand corrected.