Lila Rose, founder of Live Action, a national anti-abortion organization, recently took to Twitter/X to lament that no pro-abortion leader had agreed to face her in a debate about abortion access, writing:

“Two universities have asked me to come to their campuses this fall and debate a leading pro-abortion activist or politician. But so far, they have been unable to find anyone to agree to debate me. What are abortion supporters afraid of?” [1]

Well, I think Lila may be projecting. I’ve debated Lila before, and told her I was happy to do it again. [2] It’s been crickets ever since.

The last time I debated Lila, we discussed the need for safe, life-saving abortion care. [3] This debate occurred not long after the tragic death of Savita Halappanavar, a woman who became septic after a miscarriage and was denied the abortion she needed to save her life.

Lila persistently refused to acknowledge that Savita was denied an abortion, or that an abortion could have saved her life if she’d been allowed to have one. Lila maintained, as she still does, that abortions are never medically necessary, though doctors and data emphatically say otherwise. [4, 5]

During that first debate we didn’t even have time to get into some of the other harmful statements Lila has made over the years, such as her opposition to in vitro fertilization (IVF) and contraception [6, 7]. But I would welcome the opportunity to debate these issues with her, if she’s willing to meet me on a debate stage.

I stand firm in the truth that abortion and reproductive care is necessary and good. I am happy to stand behind my views.

Is Lila willing to stand behind hers?

Sources

1. https://x.com/LilaGraceRose/status/1828078043489017991
2. https://x.com/erintothemax/status/1829147939685687336
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYja3xscNqw
4. https://www.reuters.com/article/fact-check/termination-of-pregnancy-can-be-necessary-to-save-a-womans-life-experts-say-idUSL1N2TC0VD/
5. https://www.nbcnews.com/health/womens-health/texas-abortion-ban-deaths-pregnant-women-sb8-analysis-rcna171631
6. https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/02/20/alabama-supreme-court-ivf-embryos/
7. https://revealnews.org/podcast/the-long-campaign-to-turn-birth-control-into-the-new-abortion/