Center for Bio-Ethical Reform

The Center for Bio-Ethical Reform (CBR) is an American anti-abortion[1] organization. The Executive Director of the CBR is Gregg Cunningham, a former Republican member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives who has also held a number of other government positions. He was a member of the Reagan administration.[2]

Activities

CBR projects include the Reproductive "Choice" Campaign, the Genocide Awareness Project, Matthew 28:20, and the AbortionNO web site.

The CBR has compared Nazi genocide and lynching victims to aborted fetuses, in the context of its Genocide Awareness Project. Shopping mall owners in California attempted to prohibit their "grisly or gruesome displays", but the California Supreme Court upheld the Center's constitutional right to free speech and political activities in such public places.[3]

The Guardian describes a group called Abort67, "whose parent organisation is the Center for Bio-Ethical Reform, which is run by an ex-Republican politician who has come over to train their activists".[4]

In 2019 the UK affiliate of CBR targeted Labour MP and women's rights campaigner Stella Creasy, who was pregnant, by advertising on billboards and leafleting in her constituency. The material depicted a fetus, and prompted hundreds of complaints. The advertising agency responsible for the billboards apologised,[5] conceding that they should have monitored the content more closely, and they removed the posters[6] Campaigning in the UK has been done under the banner of Abort67, a project of the Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform UK, which was founded as a company in 2010. The Centre claimed at least £29,000 in gift aid, according to its accounts, prompting the BBC and the Charity Commission to investigate their charity status.[1]

The group's Irish branch campaigned against the legalization of abortion in Ireland.[7]

Graphic images

The CBR advocates displaying graphic pictures of aborted fetuses, as well as the dead bodies of Holocaust and lynching victims. During their protest at Liberty University and The College of William and Mary,[8] the group was condemned by anti-abortion organizations on campus, who consider the group's tactics and messages to be neither helpful nor appropriate.[9]

Genocide Awareness Project

The Genocide Awareness Project is a movable display which has been temporarily installed on multiple university campuses in the United States and Canada since 1997. The display includes pictures which they say depict aborted fetuses or represent what an aborted fetus would look like, juxtaposed with images of genocide victims. In 2001, the display was mounted on trucks and driven around San Francisco Bay Area. This approach was also used earlier in Florida, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, and the Los Angeles area.[10]

At the University of Maryland, over 500 students signed the petition "I Am Insulted by the Exploitation of the Holocaust for Political Gain".[11]

Leadership

According to Charity Navigator, 6.76%, or $66,440, of the group's expenses goes to compensating secretary Gregg Cunningham.[12]

See also

References
  1. Thomas, Helen (2018-05-14). "Anti-abortion group Gift Aid questioned". BBC News. Retrieved 2020-08-25.
  2. "CBR Directors / AbortionNO.org". Archived from the original on 2011-10-07. Retrieved 2011-10-04.
  3. "California high court allows disturbing images during antiabortion demonstrations". 2019-10-17. Retrieved 2020-08-25.
  4. Marsh, Sarah (2018-04-23). "Abortion clinic buffer zones being considered by more councils". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2019-04-18.
  5. "Ad company removes 'disgusting' anti-abortion campaign directed at pregnant Labour MP". 2019-10-01. Retrieved 2020-08-25.
  6. Marsh, Sarah (30 Sep 2019). "Ad agency apologises to Stella Creasy over foetus billboard campaign". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 Sep 2019.
  7. O’Loughlin, Ed (2018-03-26). "As Irish Abortion Vote Nears, Fears of Foreign Influence Rise". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-08-25.
  8. Martin, SaraRose. "William and Mary students hold counter-protest during anti-abortion group demonstration". vagazette.com. Retrieved 2019-04-18.
  9. Stiner, Mikaela (2019-04-11). "Graphic Abortion Protest Met With Counter Protest". The Lynchburg Torch. Retrieved 2019-04-18.
  10. "Abortion foes plan a convoy campaign Pictures of fetuses displayed on trucks", San Francisco Chronicle, November 24, 2001.
  11. Pro-life images disturb students
  12. "Charity Navigator - Rating for Center for Bio-Ethical Reform". Charity Navigator. Retrieved 2019-04-18.
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