Legislation would prohibit sex-selection and race-selection abortion, and the coercion of women to obtain either
FRONT ROYAL, Virginia -- Human Life International (HLI) President Father Shenan J. Boquet condemned the practice of discriminatory racial and gender selective abortions and called on political leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives to send a strong message against such prejudice by passing the Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act (PRENDA) on Wednesday.
"We know that sex-selection abortions are taking place around the world, and that we are missing more than 163 million women as a result. Asia is often thought of as the hub of these atrocities, but the cultural preferences and pressures that have led to female gendercide of the unborn exist in the West as well. While dozens of other nations have already taken legal action to ban race and gender selection abortions, the United States, with its rich history of civil rights activism, has failed to lead on this issue.
"A Gallup poll released last June found that that Americans prefer to have male children by a 40% to 28% margin-which Gallup suggests is similar to its 1941 polling of Americans on gender preference-but the big difference between now and 1941 is the ability to detect and terminate unwanted female pregnancies at will.
"Those in the pro-abortion movement want us to pretend that gendercide isn't an issue in the West, but a recent study by the Canadian Medical Association Journal suggests that sex-selection abortions are indeed taking place in North America. And an explosive new video investigation released today by Live Action shows that at one clinic of America's largest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood, staff were complicit in helping women obtain discriminatory sex-selection abortions of unborn females.
"Our political leaders in the House - members of both parties - must have the moral courage to stand against this evil and pass PRENDA by an overwhelming majority. Not only will this legislation protect the unborn, it will protect women from being pressured to obtain race- and gender selective abortions," said Father Boquet.
Citizens should call their representatives and urge them to vote "Yes" on H.R. 3541, the Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act, on Wednesday, May 30.
About HLI: Human Life International: For the Glory of God and defense of Life, Faith and Family. Founded in 1981, HLI is the world's largest international pro-life and pro-family organization, with affiliates and associates in over 100 countries on six continents. www.hli.org
