Birthright International is an international organization of crisis pregnancy centers. It offers a range of services, to an estimated 10 million women,[1] designed to "help support a woman's desire not to have an abortion," including referrals to legal, medical and psychological services, as well as a range of community support assistance such as financial aid.[2][3][4]
The organization, founded in 1968 by Louise Summerhill[5] has its international headquarters in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, having originated at Coxwell and Danforth.[1][6]
Following the death of Summerhill, her three daughters Louise, Mary Berney and Stephanie Fox, as well as her granddaughter Victoria Summerhill Fox have taken major roles in running the organization.[1]
In July 2022, after the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision was released in the United States, a Birthright CPC in St. Paul, Minnesota, was vandalized for the seventh time since 2017. MPR News reported that the abortion-rights group Jane's Revenge had claimed responsibility for similar attacks.[7]
- ^ a b c Conlon, Mickey (2018-06-05). "Birthright marks a half century of service". The Catholic Register. Retrieved 2023-10-01.
- ^ Genovesi, Vincent J. (1996). In Pursuit of Love: Catholic Morality and Human Sexuality. Collegeville, Minn.: Liturgical Press. p. 389. ISBN 0-8146-5590-4. Retrieved 2013-09-27.
- ^ Burns, Ruth Ann (1972-06-11). "Abortion Opponents Active". The New York Times. Retrieved 2020-09-09.
Last December, months before a Federal court ruled that New Jersey's abortion law was unconstitutionally vague and an invasion of women's right to privacy, the first office of Birthright in the state opened its doors. Today, the organization, which helps women seeking an alternative to abortion, has offices operating in six more cities ... She also announced that Birthright International which is a voluntary organization formed to assist and advise pregnant women considering abortion, ... Each office averages 50 calls a week from girls distressed by pregnancy, with an average of 20 girls coming in to the office for follow‐up help. Birthright says it will not refer a young woman to an abortionist. The organization looks upon life as sacred and precious to both the baby and the mother, and viewes abortion as destruction of the unborn child,
- ^ Bryant, Amy; Swartz, Jonas (2018-03-01). "Why Crisis Pregnancy Centers Are Legal but Unethical". AMA Journal of Ethics. 20 (3): 269–277. doi:10.1001/journalofethics.2018.20.3.pfor1-1803. PMID 29542437. Retrieved 2020-09-09.
Drive down any highway in America, and you might see a sign: "Pregnant? Scared? Call 1-800-555-5555." Most often, these signs are advertisements for crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs). CPCs, sometimes known as "pregnancy resource centers," "pregnancy care centers," "pregnancy support centers," or simply "pregnancy centers," are organizations that seek to intercept women with unintended or "crisis" pregnancies who might be considering abortion. Their mission is typically to prevent abortions by persuading women that adoption or parenting is a better option. One of the first CPCs opened in 1967 in Hawaii. Most CPCs are religiously affiliated, and a majority are affiliated with a network or umbrella organization such as Birthright International, Care Net, Heartbeat International, or the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates. These umbrella organizations offer legal support, ultrasound training, and other services to CPCs.
- ^ "Learn – Birthright".
- ^ Smith, Joanna (2010-08-07). "Deception used in counselling women against abortion". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2020-09-09.
Canadians for Choice, which tracks access to abortion services across the country, says that in 2008 there were 197 crisis pregnancy centres in Canada ... Many of them are affiliated with the umbrella organizations Canadian Association of Pregnancy Support Services (CAPSS), based in Red Deer, Alta., and Toronto-based Birthright International.
- ^ "'Crisis Pregnancy Center' vandalized in St. Paul". MPR News. 5 July 2022. Retrieved 2022-08-07.