The Feminist Case Against Abortion

FFL President Serrin M. Foster has led Feminists for Life of America since 1994. Under her leadership, FFL successfully advocated benefits for poor and pregnant women through the State Child Health Insurance Program, worked in coalition with other women's organizations to defeat the mandatory "family cap" and other punitive child exclusion provisions in welfare reform, and helped to prevent poverty and coerced abortions due to threats to withhold child support through passage of the Enhanced Child Support Act. Serrin served on the National Taskforce Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence, which worked to pass the Violence Against Women Act, and testified before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee in support of the Unborn Victims of Violence Act, also known as "Laci and Conner’s Law." The creator of the Women Deserve Better^® campaign has been an outspoken opponent of pregnancy discrimination and has focused on developing on-campus resources and support for underserved pregnant and parenting students. Serrin’s landmark speech, "The Feminist Case Against Abortion," has been recognized as one of the “great speeches in history” in an anthology called Women's Rights. Click here for more information.

Former FFL Vice President Sally Winn knows the challenges of pregnancy and parenting in college firsthand, having experienced an unplanned pregnancy as an undergraduate student. Ms. Winn has presented her story to colleges across the country and to Members of Congress and their staff on Capitol Hill. In her lecture, she covers 200 years of pro-life feminism and draws from her expertise as Director of a pregnancy center to emphasize solutions for pregnant and parenting students on campus. Ms. Winn also serves as a moderator for FFL's groundbreaking Pregnancy Resource Forums.

Joyce Ann McCauley-Benner was raped at 20 and chose not to abort, not knowing if her unborn son was the result of rape or of her relationship. She says, "I know what it's like to want to run as far away as possible from a problem, how it feels to hang on to ‘if I wasn't pregnant anymore, it would all be o.k. again.'" Ms. McCauley-Benner, who graduated from college while raising her son, currently works with women who have been involved in sex trafficking. In addition to her lecture, she also moderates FFL's Pregnancy Resource Forums. A mother of two sons, Ms. McCauley-Benner lives in the Midwest.

Karen Shablin Karen Shablin converted from a "card-carrying member of NARAL" to a pro-life feminist position. In her lecture, Karen discusses the reasons that led her to have an abortion, the disproportionately high number of African American women who - like her - are driven to abortion, factors that made her reconsider abortion, and why today she is a Feminist for Life. A health policy expert and former state Medicaid agency head, Ms. Shablin is speaking for FFL on campus because, she says: "I can't undo my mistakes over the years - having an abortion, advocating abortion, but I can help others to learn from my mistakes. Every life counts." One of Karen's favorite feminists is Fannie Lou Hamer. Learn more by reading "'Nobody's Free Until Everybody's Free': The Consistently Nonviolent Activism of Fannie Lou Townsend Hamer" by Mary Krane Derr (see link p. 20).

FFL College Outreach Program Coordinator Chaunie M. Brusie became a student mother her senior year of college. As the founder and leader of her student activist group, Chaunie worked to create support for pregnant and parenting students like herself on campus. She shares her personal story as a pregnant college student who challenged the status quo on her campus in FFL's e-series Chaunie's Journey. Chaunie graduated on time with a degree in Nursing shortly before delivering her daughter, Ada Marie, in May of 2008.

Angelica Talavera founded a pregnancy center shortly after graduating from college and continues to run it in her hometown in the Southwest. Her own mother was advised to abort her but risked her life to continue her pregnancy. Her mother's courage continues to be a motivation for Ms. Talavera. Ms. Talavera presents the perspective of a woman who works daily with pregnant and parenting women, particularly college age women, facing crisis situations and she sees firsthand how lack of support hurts women: "This failure to provide resources is a reflection of how far we still need to go to eliminate the root causes of abortion," Ms. Talavera said.

Ann Lowrey Forster was known for her pro-choice letters to the editor when she became pregnant her sophomore year in college. She gave birth that summer, returning to school for junior year. Urged to abort and deserted by her boyfriend, Ms. Forster continued her pregnancy and graduated on time with honors. Now a pro-life feminist, married, with a toddler and a newborn, and a law clerk with a law firm in the South, Ms. Forster believes resources and support are critical for pregnant and parenting women.

Julia Thornton dropped out of college her freshman year after discovering she was pregnant. She placed her daughter for adoption in October 1993, and returned to school two months later, earning her B.A., and later a Master's Degree in International Journalism. She has worked in Africa and the Middle East, and was a reporter for Japan's largest daily newspaper in Los Angeles. Ms. Thornton volunteers with The Gabriel Project, which provides housing and support to pregnant women, and is certified as an Infant Adoption Liaison through the National Council for Adoption's Infant Adoption Awareness Training Program. An FFL board member, she works in Washington, D.C.

FFL Board Member Jessica O'Connor-Petts became pregnant shortly after graduating from university in 1996 but continued with her plan to move to Washington, D.C. to work in public policy and row competitively. With the loving support of family, friends, and caregivers, she made an adoption plan for her birthson, including four joyful weeks with him after his birth. Ms. O'Connor-Petts later completed an MBA, and works with a management consulting firm in Washington while continuing to row competitively. She also volunteers for a number of organizations that serve birthmothers. Ms. O'Connor-Petts' birthson, his little sister and parents were part of her wedding in 2003, with her birth son serving as ring-bearer. Her birthson and his family now eagerly await the baby that Ms. O'Connor-Petts and her husband Ray expect in February. Ms. O'Connor-Petts is available to speak on a limited basis in the Washington area.

Author of FFL's Study, "Perception is Reality: Pregnancy and Parenting Resources on Campus" Cayce D. Utley has focused on the continuing development of FFL's College Outreach Program which helps schools create and promote resources for pregnant and parenting students. Prior to her work with FFL, she served as Deputy Director of Democrats for Life of America. The author of FFL's recent study, Perception is Reality, Cayce has led workshops on women-centered activism for students from schools around the country. Most recently, Cayce moderated Georgetown University's annual Pregnancy Resource Forum.

Patricia Heaton, FFL's Honorary Chair, two-time Emmy Winner ("Everybody Loves Raymond") and New York Times best-selling author, appears this year on Fox's new television series "Back to You" with Kelsey Grammer of "Frasier" fame. Heaton co-founded FourBoys Films with her husband, actor/producer David Hunt, produced and starred in the TNT/FourBoys Films production The Engagement Ring, starred in the TNT/Neil Simon production of The Goodbye Girl, and produced the movie Amazing Grace in conjunction with Bristol Bay Productions. Ms. Heaton speaks on behalf of FFL on a very limited basis - typically at large national events, events on Capitol Hill, or large venues in the Los Angeles area, often together with FFL President Serrin Foster.

Remember the Woman

Margaret Colin , FFL's Honorary Co-Chair, has extensive acting credits in studio movies and independent features ("Independence Day," "Three Men and a Baby" and "The Devil's Own"), television ("Chicago Hope," "Now and Again," "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" and "Law & Order: Criminal Intent"), and theatre (Jackie: An American Life). In the made-for-television movie "Swing Vote" she portrayed the pro-life wife of a Supreme Court Justice. Margaret recently appeared in the Broadway cast of Old Acquaintance, and is currently in the cast of "Gossip Girl," a new TV show this fall on The CW Television Network. She is busy with her acting career, appearing frequently on stage in New York, and raising her two sons with her husband. Ms. Colin's availability is also very limited, but she occasionally speaks on Capitol Hill or on college campuses in the New York area together with FFL President Serrin Foster. Click here for more information.