The opinions expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not reflect the opinions of State Affairs.
Raped. Pregnant. 15-years-old. Homeless. Hopeless.
These are often one or more of the characteristics brought up by abortion supporters to justify abortion’s necessity for women in our culture. But, they’re not just philosophical thought experiments and political talking points to me. They were my reality. They were my challenges.
They are my story.
They are why I fight so passionately for the pro-life cause. And they are why I walked away from a successful career in the legal field in 2019 to write policy for a pro-life nonprofit organization. Because I believed that I could help ensure women in Georgia don’t face the same challenges I faced as a 15-year-old girl, pregnant by rape, homeless because I rejected abortion.
To quote the great philosopher Peter Parker, “When you can do the things that I can, but you don’t, and then the bad things happen? They happen because of you.”
That’s why you will notice how things have changed in the world of “pro-life politics” in Georgia. Our pro-life movement is driven by the understanding that politics have consequences, and we focus our entire mission on finding ways not just to end abortion – but to eliminate the perceived need for it.
It is the height of misogyny to tell a woman she is not strong enough to face unplanned life; but it is the height of hypocrisy to restrict abortion and watch women drown in the ocean of struggles we refuse to address in our society.
That is why Governor Kemp and Georgia Life Alliance created a 3-year policy agenda after the passage of the Heartbeat Bill that would address these natural results of ending access to abortion on demand in our State.
We knew we would need to make it easier and safer to:
- Foster and adopt (HB114, SB107, HB154, and more)
- Expand pregnancy Medicaid from 6 weeks to one year postpartum and cover additional services (SB338)
- Mandate reasonable accommodations in the workplace for pregnant and new mothers (HB1090)
- Provide free housing for homeless pregnant women (SB116)
- Protect pregnant women seeking relief under the family violence statute (HB 231)
- Protect the medically vulnerable and developmentally disabled (HB 128)
- Mandate paid parental leave (HB 146)
- And provide a pathway to deferred sentencing for pregnant women before incarceration (HB 345).
And each of these policy items was written, passed, and signed into law by Governor Kemp in response to signing the Heartbeat Bill in 2019. Because Georgia is a state that values life – all life – and we have made it a priority to put our money where our mouth is.
That’s what makes this pro-life movement different from the movement of our parents and grandparents. Because it is informed and led by women and men just like me – people with personal stories of survival and a deeply rooted drive to stop pulling women out of the river and instead of going upstream to find out why they’re falling in.
And it’s why our culture is falling out of love with Planned Parenthood and pro-abortion politics. They see policies like the federal “Women’s Health Protect Act” that handcuffs the medical community and restricts the right of conscience. They see the advertisements urging women to stock up on abortion pills so that they can still have access to self-managed abortion should their state ban abortion. They’ve reminded women of just how many obstacles exist to confident and joyful motherhood – but have offered no hope or remedy.
Women like me, who have faced the unthinkable, don’t need an abortion. We need to be empowered. We need to be seen. We need to be heard. We need to know that we ARE strong enough to not only face, but also to overcome adversity and unplanned life events.
We have addressed dozens of those challenges, and we know there will be many more ahead. But that’s why the future is pro-life. Because while politicians will fill the airwaves fighting to protect the institution of abortion, pro-lifers will continue actively addressing the hurdles women face in pregnancy and motherhood.
Whether it is housing, childcare, assistance on campus to choose motherhood AND an education, protecting birth parents from predatory adoption practices, or expanding access to other vital resources – we are creating a truly pro-choice society … by solving the crises caused by banning abortion so we can give women more than just the choice of abortion. It is not a “choice” when it is the only choice.
About the author
Elizabeth Reed is leadership director for Georgia Life Alliance, the largest pro-life group in Georgia.
Read this story for free.
Create AccountRead this story for free
By submitting your information, you agree to the Terms of Service and acknowledge our Privacy Policy.
Already a member? Login here
Food insecurity in Georgia is huge, and a Senate bill hopes to bring parties together to figure out how to fix it
A two-year effort to tackle food insecurity in Georgia may be coming to fruition. The General Assembly is now moving on SB 177, a bill to create a Food Security Advisory Council that would find ways to get more healthy food to economically disadvantaged people in underserved areas. It began in early 2021, when Sen. Harold …
Q&A: Georgia’s new ag commissioner says agriculture is more than ‘cows, sows & plows’
Tyler Harper makes no apologies for vigorously preserving and guarding Georgia’s farmland. “Agriculture at the end of the day is national security,” Georgia’s newest agriculture commissioner told State Affairs. “We’ve got to ensure that we’re protecting our food supply and providing the food, the fiber, the shelter for ourselves right here at home.” Harper became …
Q&A: New Department of Labor commissioner is taking stock and making changes, aiming for a better experience for Georgians
When Bruce Thompson says he has an open-door policy, he means it. Literally. The badge-only elevator access to his sixth-floor executive suite in downtown Atlanta is gone, removed shortly after his arrival in January as Georgia labor commissioner. “We’re treating it like any other floor now. The doors are wide open,” Thompson told State Affairs. …
COMMENTARY: Uncovering the truth: The role Freedom of Information laws play in student journalism
Editor’s note: The New Leaders Association (NLA), formerly the American Society of News Editors, created Sunshine Week 17 years ago to promote open government. NLA and the Society of Professional Journalists host the national celebration of access to public information and what it means to citizens across the country. We asked Rohan Movva, a high …