NARAL Pro-Choice America (pronounced /ˈnɛərəl/) is an organization in the United States that engages in political action to oppose restrictions on abortion and expand access to abortion. NARAL is often used as a short form of the name.
History
The group was founded in 1968 by Bernard Nathanson, Larry Lader, and Betty Friedan as the National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws. After Roe v. Wade, the 1973 case in which the U.S. Supreme Court declared a constitutional right to privacy in reproductive decisions including abortion, it changed its name to National Abortion Rights Action League, then to National Abortion & Reproductive Rights Action League, and in 2003 dropped the long form in favor of NARAL Pro-Choice America.[1][2] In 2003, the organization launched a massive television and print campaign in order to make abortion a key issue in the 2004 elections.[2]
The precursor to NARAL was ARAL — the Association to Repeal Abortion Laws. ARAL was an expansion of the "Army of Three" — Pat Maginnis, Rowena Gurner, and Lana Phelan. The Army of Three traveled widely to meet women in private homes and union halls across the county, where they offered support, contraceptive information, and referrals to safe abortion providers in Mexico.[3]
NARAL Pro-Choice America uses numerous tactics to lobby for increased abortion rights, both in the U.S. and elsewhere. It sponsors lawsuits, donates money to politicians supportive of abortion rights through its political action committee, and organizes its members (especially through Internet communication and e-mail) to contact members of Congress and urge them to support NARAL's positions. In addition, NARAL sponsors special events, most notably the March for Women's Lives in 2004. Following the move of the organizations headquarters after the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision Karen Mulhauser served as the first national executive director. Her tenure ran from 1974 to 1982. The next NARAL leader was Kate Michelman; she announced her retirement in 2004. Nancy Keenan, formerly the Montana state Superintendent of Schools, is now the President of NARAL Pro-Choice America.
NARAL Pro-Choice America is a non-profit organization, and has approximately 30 state affiliates, including NARAL Pro-Choice New York, NARAL Pro-Choice Washington, and NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts. NARAL Pro-Choice America and its affiliates have been criticized by some other pro-choice political activists, both for supporting pro-choice Republicans such as Lincoln Chafee and Michael Bloomberg, and for supporting moderate or conservative Democrats.[citation needed]
NARAL Pro-Choice America also sponsors public sex education and tracks state and national legislation affecting laws regarding abortion, women's health and reproductive rights.
2008 US Presidential Election
Late in the Democratic presidential primaries, NARAL endorsed Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton. NARAL had long supported Clinton through her political career. NARAL's political committee board was divided between Clinton and Obama supporters, but eventually voted unanimously to support the Illinois senator. NARAL officials said they were not snubbing Clinton, but rather they were acknowledging that Obama was likely to be the nominee and that there was a growing divide between black voters and white female activists. NARAL president Nancy Keenan stated in a press release: "Today, we are proud to put our organization's grass-roots and political support behind the pro-choice candidate whom we believe will secure the Democratic nomination and advance to the general election. That candidate is Senator Obama."[4]
NARAL's endorsement sparked heavy criticism from EMILY's List, whose president, Ellen R. Malcolm said “I think it is tremendously disrespectful to Sen. Clinton—who held up the nomination of an FDA commissioner in order to force approval of Plan B and who spoke so eloquently during the Supreme Court nomination about the importance of protecting Roe vs. Wade—to not give her the courtesy to finish the final three weeks of the primary process. It certainly must be disconcerting for elected leaders who stand up for reproductive rights and expect the choice community will stand with them.”[5]
NARAL criticized John McCain for using air quotes when talking about a woman's "health" concerns regarding abortion.[6]
Other activities
- In an ad targeting U.S. Supreme Court nominee John Roberts, NARAL claimed that while U.S. Deputy Solicitor-General, Roberts supported "violent fringe groups and a convicted clinic bomber." While Roberts did argue before the Supreme Court that a 19th-century statute directed against the Ku Klux Klan did not apply to those protesting outside abortion clinics, the case in question occurred almost seven years before the bombing pictured in the ad and was entirely unrelated to clinic bombings.[7] The ad was retracted under pressure from other pro-choice groups as undercutting the credibility of the abortion rights cause.[8]
References
External links
