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Pro-Life Works: CPC Controversy April 5, 2010 Crisis Pregnancy Center Controversy Stephanie Hernandez College Intern Lilith Faire is a worldwide music tour celebrating women in music. It was established in 1997 with the aid of Sarah McLachlan, the singer best known for her song ‘Angel’ that plays in the background of animal abuse awareness ads. The music festival will soon have its revival tour across all across the U.S. What makes this music festival unique is that $1 from each ticket sold will go to the ticket purchaser’s chosen charity in the city where the concert is hosted; in the past, ticket sales have raised more than $10 million for charity. Lilith Faire, being a women’s empowerment festival, benefits a long list of the mostly worthwhile causes - women’s charities, ranging from halfway houses, educational efforts for underprivileged women, and domestic violence awareness and healing groups. In spite of McLachlan’s anti-Life stance, a surprising choice of charities is on the list of benefiting organizations: crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs), most of which operate on donations alone, and offer ultrasounds, pregnancy tests, and a slew of other supportive programs to women free of charge. Anti-Life organizations already made it an important mission to remove CPCs from the Lilith Faire Choose Your Charity Campaign. They have started a Facebook group called “No money for crisis pregnancy centers!” hoping that the Lilith Faire charity organizers will take notice and pull CPCs from the charity list. So far, the CPCs remain on the list of charities to benefit from the concert tour. However, this is not the first attack anti-Life groups have made on CPCs. “Many CPCs use deceptive advertising practices to fool women into thinking that they are legitimate medical clinics that provide a variety of reproductive health care services,” according to RHReality Check, a popular anti-Life blog. The entire article is devoted to smearing CPCs for forcing religious rhetoric on women seeking help with unplanned pregnancies, and accuses CPCs of giving medically inaccurate information to women seeking abortion. The article is one of dozens that attack CPCs, depicting the centers as deliberately deceptive organizations that trick, force, or guilt women into not getting an abortion. While it is true that many CPCs are religious, the centers exist to offer free Life-affirming support and medical services, or give referrals to doctors who can help. Unlike Planned Parenthood, where a pregnancy test can cost as much as $35, they expect no financial compensation. CPCs have faced vocal opposition from many fronts in recent years. In 2007, the National Abortion Federation attempted to launch legislation entitled “Stop Deceptive Advertising for Women’s Services Act”, which would have forced CPCs to reduce advertising in phone books, and would have penalized them for not immediately advertising their services as non-medical, “anti-abortion” organizations. NARAL’s Action blog recently reported that the Austin City Council will soon be voting on a signage ordinance which would force CPCs to label themselves as “Limited Services Pregnancy Centers.” This same ordinance is already enforced in Baltimore. To support the CPCs during the Lilith Faire music tour, you must vote in the Choose your Charity Campaign; each city on the music tour has a list of local charities listed, and you must vote to have the organization of your choice receive proceeds from ticket sales. You can vote by becoming a fan of Lilith Faire page on Facebook, and then visiting the “Choose Yours” page to vote. CPCs listed so far: Kansas City, Kansas Mother’s Refuge, Indianapolis Indiana Life Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Metro Women’s Center, St. Louis, Missouri, Our Lady’s Inn and Haven of Grace, Phoenix Arizona, Maggie’s Place, and the Seattle, Washington, New Beginnings Home. Voting polls show CPCs receive the majority of the votes, so voting can and will make a difference. More CPCs may still be added to the charity list, so check to see if your hometown or city of residence is hosting a concert, and then add local CPCs to the list. How else can you aid crisis pregnancy centers? Donations, no matter the size, are always of great use, and you can also help by volunteering your time and talents. If you are a medical professional, think of volunteering with your medical skills and knowledge. If you are bilingual in any language, think of offering your linguistic skills, so that women who come in the clinic seeking help are not intimidated and do not ask for the help they desperately need because they cannot speak English. Volunteer or help promote their annual fundraisers, which are sometimes the only means CPC’s have to raise the largest portion of their funds. During the past legislative session, Texas Right to Life, with the assistance of many Texas legislators, fought to obtain funding for the Texas Abortion Alternatives Program, so support Texas legislators who make every effort possible to attain much-needed state funding for CPCs. Texas Right to Life has compiled a list of CPCs located across Texas on their website, and can be found by clicking the red text “Pregnant? Need help?”. UPDATE:Due to overwhelming protests from the anti-Life crowd, Lilith Faire has submitted to the pressure and removed CPCs from the Choose Your Charity campaign. Maternity homes, however, remain listed to receive charitable proceeds from ticket sales. Here is a link to the story for follow-up coverage. http://www.jillstanek.com/lilith-fair-axes-pregnancy-car.html |
