Why Patricia Heaton is Proud to Support FFL

October 19, 2010

In a recent interview with Tony Rossi for Patheos, Patricia Heaton talks about her late mother, the impact of abolitionist William Wilberforce, her film "Amazing Grace," and why she is proud to be the Honorary Chair of Feminists for Life. Heaton won two consecutive Emmys for her role as Debra on "Everybody Loves Raymond" and currently stars in "The Middle" on ABC.

The following excerpt reminds us why we are in this joyful struggle together, and why we are proud to have Patty as our Honorary Chair!

Because women deserve better,

Serrin M. Foster
President

P.S. Thank Patty for her courage and commitment--see below!

Why Patricia Heaton Supports Feminists for Life

As one of Hollywood's few outspoken pro-life activists, Heaton understands the courage and commitment it takes to voice an unpopular opinion. She has been on the front lines of the abortion debate in her role as honorary chair of the non-profit Feminists for Life (FFL). Yet for Heaton, the divisive issue doesn't descend into the uncivil tone it sometimes takes in the media or on the internet. Part of that is due to the approach taken by Feminists for Life, which "is about being kind and supportive and helping people find a way when they feel that there is no way."

Colleges are a focal point for FFL because that's where young women often find themselves pregnant without any support system. They're often just referred to an abortion provider. FFL is working to change that by building support networks on campuses across the country. In fact, the group is the direct inspiration behind a project at Belmont Abbey College in North Carolina, which aims to build America's first campus-based maternity and after-care residence for pregnant college students.

Heaton has spoken on behalf of FFL at colleges like UCLA and Loyola Marymount and welcomed the students' candor and challenging questions. She said, "They're at that point in their lives where they're questioning everything. Part of that is they like to be in your face a little bit, but it's kind of refreshing to have someone who will actually listen to your ideas. I believe that they really are open to hearing different views and they're open to reason."

Reason played an important part in the development of Heaton's pro-life views. She learned to articulate her position when she moved to New York at the start of her career and had to start defending it because she was in the minority. It forced her to ask herself, "Where are we going to demarcate 'life starts here'? If you do it anywhere other than conception, you just get into a huge amount of trouble and it doesn't make any sense logically. So I think there's a very reasoned way to be pro-life."

Show Patty She's Not Alone!

Thank Patty for her courage and commitment. Tell her you're with her. Send a gift in her honor, and send a message of support. Include a message to Patty in the comments box of the donor page.

FFL's demonstrated support for women and our saying "yes" to life-affirming solutions are creating real and lasting change. We need your help to continue this work!

The wheel is a big one, and needs a strong push, and a push all together, giving to it an impulse that will keep it constantly revolving, and the first revolution must be Female Suffrage.... education, more physical, and intellectually practical, will as surely follow as dawn follows the darkness of night.... God speed the time, for the sake of the babies.
--suffragist Eleanor Kirk for The Revolution newspaper

Keep the wheel turning today by supporting Feminists for Life now!