When you pull up the Instagram or photo gallery for Vibiana, you see gorgeous, smiling bridal parties, posh red-carpet events, and some tasty looking menu items. [1] What Chef Neal Fraser and Amy Knoll Fraser don’t want you to see is what’s stewing behind their doors on November 16, when they host the annual gala for the anti-abortion, anti-LGBT Live Action. [2]

Despite the restauranteurs’ affinity for legitimate and worthwhile charitable causes [3-6], the Frasers have decided their venue is suitable to house a fundraiser for this dangerous organization, and they haven’t responded to Reproaction and Campaign for Accountability’s in-person request that they cancel the event. On 16 October, a month before the Live Action gala is planned, our campaign fellow Kylie Cheung hand-delivered this letter asking Vibiana to deny Live Action the ability to raise funds at their venue.

For those lucky enough to be unfamiliar with Live Action’s pursuits, they’re responsible for much of the false, anti-woman, and deeply stigmatizing anti-abortion propaganda that has littered online media and infected press with lies about abortion for years. [7] Not only that, but they’ve successfully blocked independent fact-checking of their work, most recently forcing Facebook to remove a fact-check of their President Lila Rose’s claim that “abortion is never medically necessary” [8] – which is an utter lie. [9]

Most disturbingly, former Live Action employees and close associates of Rose now face felony charges in California civil court for allegations of invasion of privacy and other criminal activity surrounding the production of heavily edited propaganda videos against Planned Parenthood and the National Abortion Federation. [10, 11] The rhetoric sparked by these sham videos has resulted in an increase of violence against abortion clinics and providers. [12] The message of these videos was quoted directly by the mass shooter who attacked the Planned Parenthood health center in Colorado Springs in November 2015, leaving three dead. [13]

Rose’s spreading of deeply homophobic and transphobic messages [14, 15] on her social media accounts should be enough. Live Action’s mission to incite anti-abortion rage should be enough. But the fact that the villainization of abortion providers has already increased violence at clinics and produced a body count? No respectable vendor should assist Live Action in producing more hate.

Chef Neal Fraser and Amy Knoll Fraser: Cancel Live Action’s fundraiser at Vibiana.

Sources:

1. https://www.instagram.com/vibianaevents/
2. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/live-action-life-awards-gala-2019-tickets-66696052689
3. http://vibiana.com/general/los-angeles-conservancy-2019-preservation-awards-chairs-award-recipient/
4. https://www.outfest.org/legacy2019/
5. http://vibiana.com/chef-neal-fraser-co/amy-knoll-fraser/
6. https://www.foodandwine.com/news/neal-fraser-beefsteak-vii
7. (https://www.mediamatters.org/lila-rose/updated-who-lila-rose?redirect_source=/research/2012/04/24/updated-who-is-lila-rose/184170)
8. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/claudiakoerner/facebook-fact-check-abortion-video-doctors-medical
9. https://www.livestrong.com/article/100407-medical-reasons-abortions/
10. https://www.rightwingwatch.org/report/the-activists-and-ideology-behind-the-latest-attacks-on-planned-parenthood/
11. https://www.latimes.com/local/abcarian/la-me-abcarian-ppfa-charges-20170412-story.html
12. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/violence-against-abortion-clinics-like-planned-parenthood-hit-a-record-high-last-year-doctors-say-its-getting-worse/
13. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/no-more-baby-parts-suspect-in-attack-at-colo-planned-parenthood-clinic-told-official/2015/11/28/e842b2cc-961e-11e5-8aa0-5d0946560a97_story.html
14. https://twitter.com/LilaGraceRose/status/1013231197034459136
15. https://twitter.com/LilaGraceRose/status/1182821445359022082?s=20