Students for Life of America to Rally at Supreme Court Tuesday as Arguments take place in Free Speech Case
MEDIA ADVISORY: Rally begins Tuesday, March 20, at 9 a.m. eastern regarding National Institute for Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA) v. Becerra
WASHINGTON D.C. (03-16-18) – Students for Life of America will have students and speakers available outside the Supreme Court on Tuesday, March 20, as the NIFLA case has its day in court. “This case directly impacts Students for Life of America as we almost daily confront opposition to our free speech rights on more than 1,200 college and high school campuses nationwide,” said SFLA President Kristan Hawkins. “This Orwellian abortion lobby effort really puts the bully in bully pulpit as they attempt to co-opt almost every pro-life conversation.”
She continued: “Forcing pro-life organizations and individuals to advocate for abortion against our personal convictions should be an obvious violation of our constitutional rights. Yet we are dealing with attacks on free speech constantly. Across the country, school officials and sometimes student government leadership tells SFLA chapters that they can be refused recognition as a group, denied funding, denied permission to hold an event or forced to hang signs with a ‘Trigger warning’,cautioning students that pro-life speech is taking place. Our displays are vandalized, and our volunteers have even been attacked. We also have experienced pressure to include pro-abortion speech in our presentations, such as when an SFLA chapter at the University of Colorado-Boulder invited pro-life activist and former Planned Parenthood clinic director Abby Johnson to speak. The school’s cultural events board tried to pressure the students to include a Planned Parenthood advocate at their event, eventually relenting only after legal intervention.
“Students for Life will be at the Supreme Court in force, asking for the rights of pro-life Americans to be respected. And given the work that SFLA engages in, working to promote programs like our Pregnant on Campus initiative to support moms on campus as they choose life rather than abortion, we greatly fear that this kind of compelled speech code would hurt us directly.”
MEDIA NOTE: SFLA Vice President of Programs Tina Whittington will be available at the rally location for interview. SFLA President Kristan Hawkins available by phone and e-mail. Students will also be holding vigil and praying at the Supreme Court the night before the hearing.
To set up an interview regarding the NIFLA case, e-mail Kristi at [email protected], and on the day of the rally for on-site interview, e-mail Matt at [email protected]
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Students for Life of America is the nation’s largest pro-life youth organization. Headquartered in Fredericksburg, VA, Students for Life has more than 1,200 groups on college and high school campuses located in all fifty states.
