Catholics for Choice Announces Counterprotest Actions for the So-Called “March for Life”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, January 18, 2023
Contact: Ashley Wilson, Strategic Communications Advisor
Phone: 202-294-4081
Email: awilson@catholicsforchoice.org
Catholics for Choice Announces Counterprotest Actions for the So-Called “March for Life”
WASHINGTON — Catholics for Choice, which uplifts and amplifies the voices of the majority of Catholics who believe in reproductive freedom, announced the following actions today in anticipation of the 51st March for “Life”: postering the “March for Life” route, unveiling an online story center, and mobilizing constituent advocates for a week of action.
CFC President Jamie L. Manson, M.Div., said,
“The bulk of the crowd at the so-called ‘March for Life’ is young people, who are the most likely people to be harmed by bad, anti-abortion policies in the first place. But data doesn’t lie: 70% of Gen Z Catholics think abortion should be legal (Public Religion Research Institute).
“While the March for Life organizers take their second, performative victory-lap, they will encounter Catholics for Choice’s messages at every turn. This year we will poster along the March for Life route with affirming signs that share the truth that faithful Catholics have abortions. Since Roe v. Wade was overturned, we’ve heard from countless Catholics and former Catholics who are now emboldened to share their stories of faith and abortion. Building off our groundbreaking work delivering abortion stories to the Vatican this past October, this week we will unveil our online story center. I am so grateful for the leadership of these courageous storytellers.
“Other posters will ask young people directly: Why do students really go to the March for Life? I’ve heard a variety of reasons students participate, from extra credit to a free trip to D.C., to even being excused from midterm exams. The sad truth is, these youth are being used as political pawns by right-wing forces with a much larger, more nefarious agenda. It will only be a few years before these young marchers realize that their trip to D.C. resulted in devastating consequences for their own healthcare.
“After the March for Life leaves town and students go back to class, Catholics for Choice advocates will mobilize about real Catholic social justice issues. We will be organizing a Week of Action in support of the HEAL for Immigrant Families Act. True Catholic social justice values require access to healthcare for all, no matter where you are born. Currently, immigrants, regardless of legal status, are prohibited from receiving many forms of healthcare coverage that most other Americans receive. That’s not pro-life.
“If the so-called ‘March for Life’ has revealed anything, it’s that they are pro-birth, rather than truly pro-life. While the Speaker of the House (who will speak at tomorrow’s march) and other figures devote their energy to a punitive, pro-birth agenda, we are encouraging pro-choice people of faith at all levels — from classrooms to the White House — to speak up about how they reconcile their religious beliefs and support of abortion access.
“To any of the young people encountering Catholics for Choice at the March for Life for the first time: There are many people, including staff at Catholics for Choice, who were once in your shoes. If you are conflicted, you are not alone. Catholics for Choice is here to grapple and grow with you.”
Roundup of March for Life resources:
- Photos and Digital Downloads of Route Posters
- Catholics for Choice Story Center
- March for Life Webpages. Each of the Catholics for Choice branded and unbranded posters contain QR codes that will link to pages on the Catholics for Choice website for more information. The pages are as follows:
- HEAL for Immigrant Families Act Legislative Update
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Catholics for Choice shapes and advances sexual and reproductive ethics that are based on justice, reflect a commitment to a person’s well-being and respect, and affirm the capacity of all people to make moral decisions about their lives.
