PPFA Clergy Advocacy Board Statement on Texas’s Immoral Abortion Ban that Puts Patients, Clergy at Risk
For Immediate Release: Sept. 1, 2021
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today, Texas’s radical six-week abortion ban, S.B. 8, is in effect, making abortion illegal in the state after 6 weeks — before many people realize they are pregnant. S.B. 8 includes a provision that allows individual citizens, including abusive partners, neighbors, and anti-abortion protesters who have no connection to the patient, to sue anyone they believe provided or assisted a patient with an unlawful abortion and collect $10,000 for each successful claim. Among those who could be sued are clergy who provide confidential and sacred spiritual counsel to someone considering having an abortion. The Reverend Erika Forbes and The Reverend Daniel Kanter are two of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit brought by Planned Parenthood Federation of America and our partners in federal court to block S.B. 8. Despite the law’s implementation today, plaintiffs are still fighting in court to stop S.B. 8 and ensure Texans’ constitutional rights are protected. This marks the first time a six-week abortion ban has been allowed to take effect.
The Clergy Advocacy Board of Planned Parenthood Federation of America condemns this law. We must honor the freedom necessary for each patient to make the decision that is right for them and their family, according to their personal conscience and beliefs. Abortion bans like S.B. 8 privilege the personal beliefs and political goals of some politicians above the needs, rights, and freedoms of pregnant people.
Statement from The Reverend Burl Salmon, chair, Clergy Advocacy Board of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America:
“S.B. 8 is a cruel, immoral law that puts essential reproductive health care at risk for millions of Texans and endangers the sacred relationship between clergy and their congregants. Our faiths guide us to care for others, to provide pastoral counseling to those who need it, and to ensure that our congregants have the tools to make their own decisions, including decisions about their reproductive health and rights. But under this new Texas abortion ban, we now run the risk of breaking the law merely for providing compassionate guidance to those who seek our support. No matter how one feels about abortion, every person deserves the moral agency to make their own decisions about their bodies and their futures. We believe that abortion bans have no place in our society and that abortion should be safe and legal and free of moral shame.”
Background on the Planned Parenthood Federation of America Clergy Advocacy Board:
Building on the long history of faith leaders taking an active role in supporting reproductive health care, the Clergy Advocacy Board has been working with Planned Parenthood at the national and state levels to further the goal of full reproductive rights and freedom for all people for more than two decades. Its members, who are dedicated clergy and faith leaders from different denominations and communities throughout the U.S., lead a national effort to increase public awareness of the theological and moral basis for advocating reproductive health.
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Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading provider and advocate of high-quality, affordable sexual and reproductive health care for all people, as well as the nation’s largest provider of sex education. With more than 600 health centers across the country, Planned Parenthood organizations serve all patients with care and compassion, with respect, and without judgment, striving to create equitable access to health care. Through health centers, programs in schools and communities, and online resources, Planned Parenthood is a trusted source of reliable education and information that allows people to make informed health decisions. We do all this because we care passionately about helping people lead healthier lives. Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that supports the independently incorporated Planned Parenthood affiliates operating health centers across the U.S.