LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY

FCLNY’s legislative advocacy spans the most pressing policy issues facing New Yorkers.

NY Equal Rights Amendment

The Governor of New York, the Attorney General and majorities in both the NY Senate and Assembly are demanding to amend NY’s Constitution with the so-called Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). Last year the ERA was legislatively scheduled for a popular, referendum vote on November 5, 2024.

In opposition to the ERA, FCLNY helped build the Coalition to Protect Kids-NY, a ballot issue committee, created to defeat the passage of the amendment. FCLNY currently serves as an Organizational Endorser of the Coalition, along with other non-profits and groups. Please see PROTECTKIDSNY.COM to learn more about the Coalition and how you can help.

The ERA’s passage would constitutionalize not only a right to destroy unborn human beings, on demand, but threaten the few safeguards that exist in NY surrounding abortion, and jeopardize the ability of NY State Legislatures to enact and implement basic standards regarding the procedure, abortion related requirements including:

• parental notification,
• informed consent,
• wait periods,
• tracking, reporting and publishing abortion complication data,
• annual state health department abortion clinic inspections,
• pre-abortion (including chemical abortion) pregnancy ultrasounds,
• distribution of information on adoption services and embryonic and fetal development.

If the amendment to NY's Constitution is approved in November of 2024, all unborn children, regardless of age, sex, disability, national origin, ethnicity, or race, will be at risk of lethal violence. Living pre-born children will be in danger of death more than

ever before in NY.

Rates of later-term abortions are likely to increase. Approximately 2,000 children are killed by abortion on average annually in NY, at 20+ weeks gestation, according to NY’s most recent, published vital statistics spanning a 10 year period.

The Coalition launched its campaign in early April, with swelling support from diverse influencers, individuals, organizations and groups, as well as media coverage in Politico, the New York Post and Fox News, among other news outlets. On May 7, a state trial court knocked the ERA off of the ballot, and the matter is now on appeal.

FCLNY will not back down. We will continue to endorse the Coalition’s critical work to defeat the ERA and educate voters on its destructive impacts.

FCLNY needs your financial support to accomplish all of our work.

NY Assisted Suicide

FCLNY is working to stop the passage of assisted suicide in NY. Last year, we helped block assisted suicide from becoming legal in NY. This year we are working to do the same, having spearheaded legislative campaigns to dismantle Medical Aid In Dying

(MAID) bills in the health committees of both legislative chambers.

NY Reproductive Heath Act (RHA)

Oral arguments occurred before the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in Smith vs. Hochul, the landmark lawsuit organized by FCLNY, and taken up by the incredible Thomas More Society.

Plaintiff-victims represented by special counsel with the Women’s Alliance Against Violence are one step closer to (1) a ruling on whether viable unborn children have a right to life under the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, and (2) a decision that identifies WHO can serve as the voice for the voiceless viable unborn child, in a court of law.

We will keep you posted as always. See our Legislative Advocacy Webpage.

MEDIA OUTREACH

FCLNY’s focused media outreach continues to reach deep into the center of topics connected to sanctioned lethal violence.

Press

Our most recent published essay in the Buffalo News highlighted the caustic impacts of the ERA. FCLNY issued a press release on the ERA, titled, Feminists Adamantly Oppose Passage of NY’s Equal Rights Amendment and interviewed on 88.3 FM radio regarding the dangerous effects of the ERA on children and parents. You can read our full press release posted at fclny.org/blog.

We are planning a monthly roll out of op-eds and press releases on the ERA leading up to its final defeat, whether on Nov. 5th or in the NY Legislature, where it’s likely to head back for a re-vote should it not appear on the ballot in 2024.

The Democrat & Chronicle published an FCLNY essay titled, Logic of Abortion Law Runs Counter to Gun Law. We conducted an interview on the Dear Jane Podcast called, Can Feminists Be Pro-Life? and on TV, Channel 13, regarding abortion rates and root

causes, post Dobbs vs. Jackson.

We need your support to do this. Please become a monthly donor. Your support is key to victory.

Social Media

FCLNY’s social media continues to grow, sparking lively debate, eliciting provocative questions and answers on the life-affirming philosophy of the consistent life ethic. Please follow us on social media if you don’t already. We are on Instagram, Facebook,

Tik Tok and X.

Here is what some are saying about us on social media:

“Louder please!” “Brilliant” “Amazing” “So much truth!”

“This is a totally new perspective to me.” “Never thought of it this way but wow. 100%.”

Radio

If you haven’t already heard one of our radio public service announcements yet, stay tuned! There’s hopefully one coming your way soon. Since January, FCLNY has had radio ads running across the state, spanning 13 FM radio stations and 20 NY counties. Here is a small sample of our radio commentary (which you can also hear on our website’s homepage).

• All human beings deserve to live free from violent destruction: this is the first human right we all share, equally, from conception to natural death. That means no abortion, no unjust war, no death penalty, no assisted suicide. Violence harms us all and undermines equality. Consistency is key: human rights are built upon the solid foundation of our shared humanity. Join the growing pro-life feminist movement with Feminists Choosing Life of New York.Org

• Scientific consensus demonstrates human beings begin their existence at conception. Abortion ends the lives of children. Pregnancy involves two separate human beings. Let’s increase helping vulnerable pregnant women. Paid For By Feminists Choosing Life of New York, FCLNY.ORG.



FCLNY depends on broad public support to exist. We cannot accomplish our work without you! For every dollar donated, it will be matched with 3. Monthly donors are the backbone of nonprofits. Please become a monthly donor today.

From January to May FCLNY’s website traffic has grown 100%. We are so thankful to all of the radio stations that air our commentary, to all the listeners that are choosing to dive deeper into the issues and to YOU, for allowing us to educate and agitate, loud and clear. See our Media Outreach Webpage.

PROJECTS THAT EMPOWER

FCLNY raises awareness of root causes and non-violent solutions to legal killing of human beings.

Essential Resource Indexes

We continue to distribute and promote our 4 Resource Indexes, each outlining crucial services designed to alleviate the drivers of deadly violence, in particular, abortion. Abortion in NY is the number one cause of death for children. Women facing unplanned pregnancies are largely poor and marginalized. Some are victims of domestic violence and sex trafficking, all are overwhelmed and without support.

Please help spread awareness of the availability of life-affirming resources. We have printed palm cards containing bar codes to each of our on-line resource directories, namely FCLNY’s (1) Adoption Resource Index, (2) Pregnancy Resource Centers Index (3) Bread & Bed Resource Index and (4) Survivors of DVAST (Domestic Violence and Sex Trafficking) Resource Index.

DVAST Hotline Poster Project

FCLNY continues to disseminate posters containing the Domestic Violence and Sex Trafficking Hotline. Hotlines help release women from Domestic Violence and Sex Trafficking. Please reach out to join an FCLNY DVAST team to help us distribute Hotline Posters. See our Projects that Empower Webpage.

GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGNS

Like the early feminist suffragists, FCLNY engages in grassroots activism. We work to inform, involve and inspire individuals and communities with sign and petition drives, and billboard campaigns.

Sign Drives



This year we’ve kicked off our sign drive with a focus on unborn babies, equality and peace.

Message us at info@fclny.org for signs or go to our online shop at fclny.org/shop.

Help us reach the younger generations! Your donation to FCLNY empowers us to grow our reach to teens and young adults with the pro-woman, pro-life message.

Petition Drives

More than half of abortions in the U.S. now involve two “abortion pills,” Mifepristone and Misoprostol. Until we hear otherwise from the U.S. SCT in FDA vs. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, the case challenging safety surrounding Misoprostol, it is legal for retail pharmacies to mail abortions pills with a prescription via tele-health in NY.

CVS and Walgreens have already become certified abortion pill dispensaries. In March, 2024, Walgreens started providing medication abortions in NY. Giant retail pharmacies are more likely to undergo the expensive certification process than independent, privately owned family pharmacies.

Sign FCLNY’s petition today and pledge to

MAKE THE SWITCH TO A LOCAL FAMILY PHARMACY.

You can sign the petition on our website, and also see and share our Independent Pharmacy Resource Index to locate privately owned pharmacies in NY.

Billboards

One small billboard can reach about 200,000 people in one month; a larger one, in a populated area, reaches approximately 1.2 million. FCLNY’s billboard campaigns promote non-violence and peace, especially for vulnerable children. Our upcoming billboard series (3) will do the same, with some encouragement mixed in. Here is our first billboard idea for our 2024 summer billboard series.

LETS GROW NY!

Let’s Build a Culture of Life!

We need funding to implement all of our initiatives! You can donate through UNITED WAY! Our UNITED WAY designation ID # is 3425

See our Grassroots Campaigns Webpage.

FILM INVOLVEMENT

FCLNY continues to use film to educate and motivate.

We organized and hosted showings of two multiple award winning films with audience discussion and Q & A since January; Battleground and The Matter of Life. Our film events are insightful, tying together the films content with relevant LIFE topics in NY. High School seniors especially would benefit from viewing and discussing these films on campuses, NY state-wide.

Be on the look out for a soon-to-be released documentary film, featuring FCLNY and produced by Golden Girls Films, a film production company recognized for excellence by the IFC. See our Film Involvement Webpage.

SCHOLARLY EVENTS

FCLNY brings feminist scholars and other interested parties together to dialogue and debate the issues undergirding the Consistent Life Ethic. Our varied events tackle the snarly issues that divide, with expanding audiences from around the world including Japan, the United Kingdom, Spain and Ireland.

Webinars & Panel Discussions

Our upcoming webinars feature acclaimed professors. Ana Samuel, PhD, with the Witherspoon Institute will lead our fall webinar. Professor Samuel is a graduate of Princeton University and the University of Notre Dame. Our summer webinar features Sarah Hamersma, PhD, Associate Professor of Public Administration and International Affairs at Syracuse University and Alisia Chase, PhD, Associate Professor of Art History & Visual Culture at SUNY Brockport University (and FCLNY’s very own resident Feminist

Scholar).

We recently headed into Roberts Wesleyan University at the request of their on-campus Students for Life group, to engage with students and present: Caught in the Middle. Can a Feminist Be Against Abortion?

On June 13th FCLNY will join an incredible panel of speakers at St. Bernard’s 1st Annual Life Issues Series, Igniting the Next Generation. Register here: stbernards.edu/events/life-issues-series-2024.

Book Clubs & Salons

Our Book Clubs have already explored two texts this year, Pity for Evil by Monica Klem and Madeleine McDowell, and Feminism Against Progress by Mary Harrington, a rising renowned reactionary feminist and journalist, based in the UK.

Earlier this year, we held a riveting Salon (Dialogue Circle), on the use of violent military action.



Stay tuned for invites to all of our scholarly events. Many are virtual, making it easier to attend and invite friends and family. Expanding our reach is vital! See our Scholarly Events Webpage.

COMMUNITY ENCOUNTERS

FCLNY engages communities across the state. At these encounters we raise awareness about FCLNY’s purpose and initiatives, grow our support and distribute FCLNY materials.

We attended or tabled at a variety of community events so far this year. Please see our website for a full listing.

We are looking forward to AGITATING AND EDUCATING at several popular attractions in NY this summer, including at the Great NY State Fair, and the Juneteeth and Pride Festivals. The chance to speak directly into the lives of so many brings HOPE and generates change. See our Community Encounters Webpage.

Without you we cannot continue to transform NY. We need your support. We want to amplify our voices so that future generations may know that violence begets violence and despair, that there is a BETTER WAY.

New York has some of the most expansive abortion laws in the world, pending assisted suicide bills, growing poverty rates, especially for children and the elderly, increasing levels of domestic violence and high rates of sex trafficking.

Our fragile brothers and sisters are told, near daily, You're better off— We’re all better off— If you kill your unwanted unborn child, or yourself should you burden others with a terminal illness. This is the anti-life narrative that normalizes violence, that elevates death

over life, convenience over duty, cost savings above kindness.

Let us not grow weary doing what is GOOD, RIGHT, JUST, MORAL AND NECESSARY.



FCLNY exists because of your support. We are here promoting life and justice for every member of the human family. We are grateful. Women and children and families in crises are grateful. The elderly and infirm and disabled are grateful.

Very Sincerely,

FCLNY is recognized as a 501(c)(3) public charity by the IRS. Gifts are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowable by law. Upon request, a copy of the latest annual report can be obtained by FCLNY or Office of Attorney General by writing to Charities Bureau at 28 Liberty St., 15th Floor, NY, NY 10005