Today is the 49th anniversary of Title IX, the federal law that has helped girls have equal access to their own sports teams and other school-related opportunities.

But as males who identify as female are increasingly participating in girls’ and women’s sports, states must decide: will we protect our female athletes?

Overwhelmingly, leaders across the states are saying “yes!”

Last year, Idaho became the first state to pass a law saying that girls’ sports should be reserved for females. Now, 30 states have introduced similar legislation and 8 states have passed their #SaveGirlsSports bills into law!

Join us TONIGHT to hear from five leaders on the front lines to #SaveGirlsSports. Each one has worked tirelessly to defend female athletes, and we’re honored to have them join us.

Saving Girls’ Sports, State by State

Wednesday, June 23, 2021
8 PM ET / 7 PM CT / 6 PM MT / 5 PM PT
Streaming on Facebook and YouTube

Come join us and learn about

Meet our speakers!

In light of Father’s Day on Sunday, we’re highlighting some of our guests here with their daughters — one reason these leaders are fighting to #SaveGirlsSports!

John Stemberger is President and General Counsel of Florida Family Policy Council and Florida Family Action. John is a nationally known figure, and we’re grateful for his leadership in Florida’s recent fight to #SaveGirlsSports! Join us to hear how Florida stood up to the NCAA.

 

Jerry Cox is Founder and President of Arkansas’s Family Council. This year, Jerry has been on the front lines as Arkansas passed laws to #SaveGirlsSports AND protect minors from transgender medical experiments. But it wasn’t easy. Jerry has some great stories to share!

 

Gene Mills is President of Louisiana Family Forum. His work has ranged from pro-life causes to criminal justice reform, to working on Louisiana’s #SaveGirlsSports effort! We are blessed to have Gene join us as he shares about the lessons learned from his own state’s recent battle.

 

Blaine Conzatti is Executive Director of Family Policy Alliance of Idaho. Blaine was at the forefront of making Idaho the FIRST state to #SaveGirlsSports! Join to hear him share about what it was like being the first state to protect girls in sports.

 

Jeff Laszloffy is President of Montana Family Foundation. He has been a true leader and friend in the pro-family movement. While there’s much we could say about Jeff, today we’re especially excited for him to share about just how unfair it is when males compete in female sports.

 

Craig DeRoche is CEO and President of Family Policy Alliance. In his 30 years of experience, Craig has served as Speaker of the House in Michigan and president of Justice Fellowship (founded by Chuck Colson). Join us as he leads an engaging discussion with these state leaders!

Don’t miss it – and be sure to spread the word!

Join us TONIGHT at 8 PM ET/ 7 PM CT / 6 PM MT / 5 PM PT on Facebook or YouTube.

See you tonight!

Meridian Baldacci
Policy and Communications Strategist

 

P.S. Seeing this after the event? You can still watch on Facebook or YouTube

The third-year nursing student and college cheerleader had found out just days before that she was unexpectedly pregnant, and now, in the abortion clinic with her boyfriend, she was facing pressure from doctors and nurses. They were telling her that she was “doing the right thing” by getting an abortion. After all, as the doctor said, “It’s not the right time” to have this baby—and her boyfriend agreed.

Andrea knew she had reservations about what she was doing. In the days leading up to her trip to the abortion clinic, her mom had been begging her to reconsider her decision. This morning, Andrea had barely been able to keep back her tears in the waiting room while waiting for the clinic nurse to call her name.

When the doctor handed her the first of two abortion pills—an increasingly common method of abortion, called chemical abortion, performed during the first trimester of pregnancy—Andrea says she “froze.” The doctor, seeing her hesitation, said abruptly, “Now hurry up and take that pill before it melts in your hand, it’s very expensive.”

Suppressing that screaming inner voice telling her not to do it, Andrea swallowed the pill, then, wishing she hadn’t, tried to throw it up. The doctor reminded her to take the second abortion pill 24 hours later.

When she left the clinic, Andrea says she ran “straight for the car where I fell to the ground crying and screaming for God to forgive me.” She knew she had to “fix” her “mistake,” so she called her mom, who took her to hospitals and doctors, hoping someone could offer a way to reverse the chemical abortion already in progress. Their search turned up empty, so Andrea, devastated, called her aunt to pray that God would save her baby despite her bad decision, and then went to bed.

When Andrea awoke the next morning, she stumbled upon an article about a doctor who had successfully reversed a chemical abortion. She immediately called a phone number, operated by Abortion Pill Rescue, a coalition of prolife OBGYNs who offer what is called “abortion pill reversal.” The compassionate voice that answered the phone put Andrea in touch with a local doctor, who told her to rush to the doctor’s office.

The doctor confirmed the baby’s heartbeat and immediately began the reversal procedure, which involves progesterone injections that can reverse the chemical abortion, stabilizing the pregnancy and allowing for a healthy baby.

Just like Andrea, many women enter abortion clinics unsure about the decision they’re making. These women immediately regret taking the first dosage of medication to end their pregnancy, yet they often don’t know where to turn or what options they have available to reverse what could be the worst decision of their lives.

Knowing this, North Dakota Rep. Daniel Johnston and other state legislators, with the help of Family Policy Alliance of North Dakota®, led a successful effort earlier this year to enact a state law requiring that women who receive chemical abortions be informed that it may be possible to reverse the effects of the medicine if they change their minds.

Unfortunately, pro-abortion activists are suing the state to overturn the North Dakota informed consent provision that empowers women like Andrea with the knowledge to make an informed decision about their chemical abortion. To make matters worse, a judge recently blocked the enforcement of the law.

As the director of advocacy for Family Policy Alliance of Idaho®, I’ve seen something comparable to what is taking place in North Dakota also play out in my state.

The Idaho legislature, with the help of Family Policy Alliance of Idaho and other pro-life organizations, passed a similar informed consent bill in 2018 that also faced legal challenges in the courts. Our informed consent law survived the court challenges, an outcome that should give hope to our friends in the Peace Garden State.

Informed consent for chemical abortion is supported by the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, which boasts a membership of over 2,500 medical professionals.

And these laws seem to be effective. Although it’s a relatively new medical practice, abortion pill reversal protocol has saved the lives of 750 babies so far, according to Heartbeat International. Sadly, too many mothers living in states without these informed consent laws don’t find out there’s a way to reverse their chemical abortion until it’s too late.

Remember Andrea, the cheerleader and nursing student? She gave birth to Gabriel, a perfectly healthy, beautiful baby boy. “I thank God and I thank my doctor, an angel sent from above to save precious little lives, and to save the lives of mothers, because without her, I don’t know where I would be today,” Andrea also wrote in an online testimony. Family Policy Alliance® talked to her in this video after Gabriel was born.

Please keep praying that the North Dakota informed consent provision survives its legal challenges in the courts. Laws like these are medically sound and legally defensible, furthering a compelling state interest to ensure women are adequately informed before undergoing medical procedures. But perhaps most importantly, these laws really do save lives—and save mothers from a lifetime of regret.

Standing with you for life,

Blaine Conzatti
Director of Advocacy
Family Policy Alliance of Idaho

by Julie Lynde, Family Policy Alliance of Idaho

Do we have an inalienable right to not be offended?

I have spent many years in Idaho working for First Amendment freedoms. A few years ago, while working to clarify Idaho’s religious freedom law (RFRA), the ACLU opposed our efforts. One of their arguments was that Christian business owners could use RFRA to “deny service at the lunch counter” to anyone for any reason.

I couldn’t help but question why they would even think that was an honest argument or an accurate picture of the free exercise of religion.

A situation in Washington state solved that riddle. It’s because that’s what some on the Left would do to anyone who doesn’t bow to the cultural orthodoxy.

Bedlam Coffee 

On October 1, a Seattle coffee shop owner, Ben Borgman, confronted a group of customers, cursed and yelled at them and forced them to leave. His tirade against a group described as peaceful Christian abolitionists was riddled with f-bombs. He screeched, “Shut up! Shut up!”, said he was a gay man, and accused the group of intolerance, as he used explicit and blasphemous language to frame his views. The conversation went downhill fast while the group gathered their things and left.

Wow! What did the customers do to incur such wrath? Did they march into his store, berate him and make demands that he and his employees adopt their beliefs? No. They earlier stood on a public sidewalk and distributed pro-life pamphlets and literature that explained the Old Testament meaning of the rainbow. In fact, Ben had to go outside to get a copy of the flyer he found so offensive.

In a nutshell, the transgression of his customers was that they offended Ben Borgman.

Arlene’s Flowers

This brings to mind another Washington state store owner; Barronelle Stutzman, owner of Arlene’s Flowers. This Christian grandmother is a gifted florist who uses her artistic abilities to create arrangements.

She had no problem employing gay people and enjoyed selling flowers to her good friend Rob. When Rob asked Barronelle to create the floral arrangements for his same-sex wedding in 2013, she hugged him and said that she simply could not use her creative expression to decorate the same-sex ceremony. She explained that to do so would violate her relationship with Jesus. Rob felt offended.

The ACLU and Washington Attorney General sued. They claimed she unlawfully discriminated against Rob when she acted consistent with her faith in declining to use her creative skills to celebrate her friend’s same-sex wedding.

Barronelle was inundated with hate mail, profane phone calls, negative media, and yes, threats to her safety.

Under state law, Barronelle stands to lose everything… her home, savings and business. Everything. In February , the Washington Supreme Court concluded the government CAN force her and others to use their artistic expression to participate in events with which they disagree.

What about the coffee guy? Mr. Borgman was hailed as “heroic” in Out Magazine. So far, he is not threatened with litigation, and there are no reports hate mail, etc. I pray he does not suffer anything close to the bullying and abuse that has been inflicted on Barronelle. Responding in the same way the Left attacked Barronelle is not biblical and does not reflect the heart of Jesus.

A Tale of Two Businesses

It is easy to miss the distinction between these two circumstances.

On one hand, are business owners who choose to exclude an entire class of people simply because of their religious beliefs. On the other are business owners who serve everyone but decline to create custom art that celebrates a specific event.

It is the difference between “We don’t serve your kind” while viciously herding your customers out the door versus respectfully declining requests to CREATE art that would celebrate an event in conflict with deeply held convictions.

What is happening to religious people in many states is because their legislators “Added the Words” to their laws that put Christians at risk.

We know these laws are in conflict with religious freedom and it does not stop at the doors of business. It permeates the classroom, threatens the church, and in some places, has encroached into the family home.

The Founders were keenly aware what happens when government – or anyone who would use government as a weapon – oppresses people of faith. That’s why the very first freedom in the bill of rights is the “free exercise of religion.” That’s our heritage, and now it’s our time to tend to the beacon of religious liberty.