2024 Year in Review
Secular Pro-Life had a very busy 2024! In January, we attended the March for Life and the National Pro-Life Summit in Washington, D.C., networking with anti-abortion organizations and individuals from across the nation. Our Executive Director, Monica Snyder, debunked propaganda about the Supreme Court’s EMTALA ruling; starred in a Live Action video with over 75,000 views; and partnered with Americans United for Life for an article on the overlooked findings of the Turnaway Study. We proudly joined a coalition to support expansion of the child tax credit. And on the SPL blog, guest author Audrey Wagner took on the philosophy of human identity. In February, Monica appeared on multiple podcasts; learned from medical providers and made important connections at the American Association of Pro-Life Ob/Gyns (AAPLOG) conference; and launched the Secular Pro-Life Substack. February was also the month that the Alabama Supreme Court took up a negligence lawsuit by IVF parents against the fertility clinic that failed to safeguard their embryos. The Court’s ruling in favor of the parents, which applied Alabama’s longstanding Wrongful Death of a Minor statute, caused a media circus. We quickly provided true information, in both written and video formats, to combat the firehose of industry lies. March involved a lot of travel for Monica, as she met with fellow pro-life leaders in Chicago and gave two presentations in Oregon, including one at the University of Portland that got a lot of attention. On the blog, SPL analyzed post-Dobbs trends in abortion rates and featured Arrow’s story of prenatal diagnosis and survival with Trisomy 13.
April was an exciting month for us, as we hired our first intern (pictured), the wonderful Michelle Buenrostro! Monica spoke at the Heartbeat International conference in Salt Lake City. SPL founder, board president, and attorney-in-residence Kelsey Hazzard sounded the alarm about a disturbing lawsuit — in their zeal to expand abortion, the Court of Appeals of Indiana accidentally opened the door to legalized honor killings and human sacrifice. (Whoops!) Our argument found its way into a subsequent legal brief, and the case is still ongoing. In May, Monica attended the Midwest March for Life; recorded a podcast with AAPLOG; and delivered the “Building Bridges” presentation in Winnipeg. We also held our second annual trivia night fundraiser in St. Louis! In June, Monica co-authored the Unwanted and Coerced Abortion Manifesto and debunked more propaganda about the infant mortality rate in Texas. (Note to our pro-choice friends: if you’re confident in your position, why not just tell the truth?)
In July, we launched a survey of non-traditional pro-lifers, which has provided great insights. On the blog, guest author Petra Wallenmeyer explained the science behind proof-of-concept studies for testing biological tissue for abortion drugs. August featured articles on fetal pain, post-abortion mental health struggles, and how doctors can build trust with parents of children with Trisomy 13 or 18. In September, Monica again presented “Building Bridges” at the University of Missouri-St. Louis; Kelsey addressed students at Texas A&M; we were covered in The American Saga; and our media debunkings on TikTok gained well over 100K views.
Monica was on the road again in October, speaking at an Arizona rally against the state’s pro-abortion ballot measure (Prop 139) and presenting “Building Bridges” in New York. She also appeared on an AAPLOG webinar: “Using Medically Accurate Vocabulary When Discussing Abortion.” Kelsey took the stage at the Rehumanize Conference in Atlanta. Terrisa debated a Planned Parenthood attorney at Harvard. Our supporters gave generously in SPL’s first ever online auction. In November, our video about Neveah Crain — whose death ProPublica cynically exploited to advance abortion, despite her family’s claims of medical malpractice and cries for justice against the doctors involved — went viral. Our monthly donor program doubled (thank you!) and we launched a new survey on the definition of abortion. And in December, we submitted an amicus brief to the Supreme Court of Georgia, laying out a path for the Court to uphold the heartbeat law without impacting nonviolent exercises of autonomy such as same-sex relationships. We also extended an invitation for you to join our Storytelling Symposium.
Every December when I prepare our year in review, I am always astounded by how much our small but mighty team is able to accomplish. Our $15,000.00 matching challenge ends today. If you found our work valuable in 2024, please consider a tax-deductible donation. Thank you so much for your continued support of Secular Pro-Life’s vision. See you next year!
