Austin Considers Making Crisis Pregnancy Centers Tell the Truth About Services

by Alex DiBranco · 2010-04-05 16:00:00 UTC
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Austin, Texas, will consider an ordinance at its Thursday meeting that would require Crisis Pregnancy Centers to tell the truth about the services they offer. If the city council passes this proposed measure, it will follow in the footsteps of Baltimore, Maryland, to become the second city in the country to mandate this kind of consumer alert.

As Council Member Bill Spelman points out, "the ordinance does not compel a limited service pregnancy center to say anything that its operators do not believe in or to provide services to which they object." Unfortunately, it doesn't address the lies and misinformation Crisis Pregnancy Centers are prone to once you're already meeting with a counselor (see NARAL Pro-Choice Texas Foundation's report "Taxpayer Financed Crisis Pregnancy Centers: A Hidden Threat to Women's Health). All it does is insist they put up a sign with stating that they don't provide information about or referrals for abortion or comprehensive birth control, which at least lets women looking for such information know to get out while the getting's good, instead of being tricked into an appointment where they'll be bombarded with anti-choice rhetoric and potentially deceit.

"Regardless of how one feels about birth control or safe, legal abortion, this ordinance is about providing accurate information," Mayor Pro Tem Mike Martinez makes clear. Who can argue with that? Especially since the state gives Crisis Pregnancy Centers millions in funding through an "Alternatives to Abortion" program — which the Austin Chronicle reports has done beyond providing "nice annual raise for Vincent Friedewald, the executive director of the Texas Pregnancy Care Network" — the government should be making certain that it isn't spending money on an organization that misleads women to even get them inside.

A woman has the right to decide whether keep her pregnancy or not, and then whether to keep the baby or give him/her up for adoption, without being tricked into a situation where abortion isn't an option. You can sign the petition to tell the Austin City Council you support this truth-in-advertising measure, ask Congress to pass similar legislation, and use our simple petition tool to create an action urging your own local council to propose an ordinance requiring limited pregnancy centers to be upfront about their lack of services (please leave the link in the comments!).

Photo credit: jpo

Alex DiBranco is a Change.org Editor who has worked for the Nation, Political Research Associates, and the Center for American Progress. She is now based in New York City.

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