Pro-choice activists put up ‘Abortion is Freedom’ billboards outside Texas city
Pro-choice activists have placed billboards with the statement “Abortion is Freedom” outside a city in Texas that recently passed a measure identifying themselves as a “Sanctuary for the Unborn.”
The Lilith Fund for Reproductive Equity and NARAL Pro-Choice Texas placed the billboards outside of Waskom in response to the resolution.
In addition to the phrase “Abortion is Freedom,” the billboard lists the website needabortion.org, which provides resources on where Texas women can get an abortion.
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In a statement posted to their Facebook page in early July, the Lilith Fund denounced the resolution passed in June, declaring that they are “clapping back.”
“And now even more people will see our message and find NeedAbortion.org, where Texans can learn about their reproductive rights and find critical resources for accessing abortion care in our state,” stated the Fund.
The Waskom City Council unanimously voted in June to prevent abortion providers from conducting business in their jurisdiction, reportedly becoming the first city in Texas to do so.
Waskom Mayor Jesse Moore said in a statement quoted by Fox that the new ordinance was about preventing the possible creation of an abortion clinic in his city.
“We decided to take things into our own hands, and we've got to do something to protect our cities and to protect the unborn children,” stated Moore.
Mark Dickson of the pro-life group Right to Life East Texas, which helped to create the ordinance, told the local media outlet KTBS that the new measure will work as intended.
“This is something that has teeth that will actually allow the City of Waskom to protect themselves from having an abortion clinic here. Whether that’s one that comes from the North, East, or wherever, Waskom will be protected,” said Dickson.
The Christian Post reached out to The Lilith Fund for more information, however they did not return comment by press time. CP also reached out to Waskom City Council, but was told that the mayor was unavailable for comment.
The ordinance and the billboard response come amid greater attention to the abortion debate due to the increased potential for Roe v. Wade to be overturned by the current United States Supreme Court.
The appointments of judges Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court have given the judicial body a more conservative slant, leading many states and local bodies to pass pro-life resolutions and laws.
Others, most notably New York state, have gone the opposite direction, passing legislation that effectively codifies Roe should the decision be overturned.
