Pro-abortion group posts billboards around Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, to ‘celebrate abortion’ ‘destigmatize abortion’
Despite the pro-life reputation in Alabama, a pro-abortion group, Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity (URGE), has posted on four billboards in Alabama — three in Birmingham and one in Tuscaloosa, messages to “celebrate abortion” and “destigmatize abortion.”
Kimberly Inez McGuire, executive director of URGE, told AL.com the billboards are meant to “celebrate” abortion. “This [abortion] is a personal decision that each of us have to make. We want to celebrate that individual autonomy and abortion access.” To reflect this celebratory message about “autonomy,” the billboards read: “ABORTION: YOU DO YOU.”
URGE has been working in Alabama since Nov. 2018, when Alabama voted to add an amendment to the state constitution declaring Alabama a pro-life state.
Earlier this year, Alabama passed one of the strongest pro-life laws in the country, a near-total ban on elective abortion which makes abortion a felony for the abortionist except in cases of medical emergency or the mother’s life is at risk.
“Unfortunately that’s another example of abortion stigma that we’ve seen pop up in all different ways across the state. The opponents of abortion are putting a lot of resources into stigmatizing abortion across the state,” McGuire said of recent anti-abortion billboard in Tuscaloosa stating 19,000 future Alabama football fans have been aborted.
Photo published by Students for Life of America
Students for Life of America rightly criticized the personal preference argument of the pro-abortion billboard, noting, “They ignore the most fundamental question: what is the preborn child? If the preborn is NOT a human being, no justification is necessary. If the preborn is a human being, no justification is adequate.”
Abba Mellon, president of The University of Alabama’s URGE chapter said she was disappointed to see the anti-abortion billboard during the first week of sorority recruitment week. She said it could make students feel unwelcome.
“I know people look at this campus as a role model,” Mellon said. “It’s our job to dare defend our rights. The people who come here and find a home here, we have a responsibility to make sure that this is a safe home for all of us and everyone to grow up here and everyone to come.”
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