More than sixty American pro-life leaders and conservative commentators have signed a declaration calling for unborn children to receive the same legal protection as every other human being, arguing that abortion should no longer be treated differently to other acts of murder under the law.
The move comes amid an important debate within the American pro-life movement. Since the overturning of Roe v Wade in 2022, most pro-life organisations have continued to support laws that prosecute abortion providers while shielding women from criminal penalties, even where abortion is illegal.
That approach is actually similar to that of the British pro-abortion movement, seen in the recent law change in England and Wales, where Parliament voted to remove criminal penalties for women who perform their own abortions, allowing abortions at any stage of pregnancy without fear of prosecution.
While many British pro-lifers have strongly opposed that change, as it leaves vulnerable unborn children without legal protection, the pro-life establishment in the United States have ignored the reality of their position.
Finally, they are now asking the right question: if unborn children deserve equal protection under the law, should that principle apply consistently to everyone involved in an abortion?
Behind the new “Statement in Support of Equal Rights Protection” is Seth Gruber and the White Rose Resistance.
Signed by prominent pro-life figures including Abby Johnson, Riley Gaines, Allie Beth Stuckey, Alex Clark, Mark Lee Dickson, and a number of Protestant pastors, the statement argues that the expansion of chemical abortion has exposed weaknesses in existing state pro-life laws.
The declaration is rooted in the principle that every human being possesses equal value from the beginning of life.
It states: “The life of every human being begins at fertilisation, and the right to life of each human being must be protected regardless of size, stage of development, location, degree of dependency, or circumstances of conception.”
Building on that principle, the statement argues that “abortion is the intentional and unjust taking of innocent human life, and preborn children deserve the same legal protection against violence as all other human beings.”
The resolution calls on lawmakers to “remove legal immunities that allow the intentional killing of preborn children to continue” and instead enact laws that provide “full and equal protection under the law from violence and destruction, from the moment of fertilisation.”
Supporters argue that equal protection does not mean ignoring the complex circumstances in which some women seek abortions. The declaration specifically states that “just laws distinguish between those who act from ignorance, fear, or coercion and those who act with full knowledge, will, and intent”, leaving room for prosecutorial discretion where appropriate.
The proposal has generated significant debate within the wider American pro-life movement. Organisations including Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America and Students for Life of America continue to oppose criminal penalties for women, maintaining that the focus should remain on abortion providers.
Peter Kearney, SPUC’s Communications Manager, commented on the declaration, saying: “In the fight against the decriminalisation of abortion in Westminster we at SPUC have come to understand the dangers of removing women from criminal law regarding abortion. It legitimises an abortion decision and leads to more dead children. As pro-lifers we spend a lot of time telling people that the unborn child is equally as human as the rest of us. That means they deserve equal protection.
“The goal of SPUC hasn’t changed: reverse the Abortion Act. We are therefore thankful to Seth Gruber and the White Rose Resistance for holding to an equally child-focussed and uncompromising goal, giving the babies the full recognition and protection in the law they deserve.”
