American Life League
Encyclopedia
The American Life League is one of the largest pro-life
organizations in the United States
. The organization opposes abortion under any circumstance, contraception
, embryonic stem cell research, and euthanasia
. Its current president is co-founder Judie Brown
and its headquarters are in Stafford, Virginia
.
, and offering abortion alternatives to abortion-seeking patients. According to Brown these activities are free speech, and in 1994 ALL filed suit to challenge the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act
. In American Life League v. Reno http://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-4th-circuit/1054994.html, ALL lost in the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court refused to hear the case.
In the mid-1990s, the American Life League boycotted the Walt Disney Company
over the film Priest, in which a Roman Catholic priest deals with a variety of issues including his own homosexuality
. Subsequently, ALL charged that Disney had concealed subliminal sexual messages in a number of its animated films, including The Lion King
, The Little Mermaid
, and Aladdin. Disney denied all claims made by American Life League.
ALL has also come under criticism for how it spends its donations. In the fiscal year ending in 2005, ALL spent one third of its income on fundraising and administrative expenses, including almost 9% or $699,857 paid out to its CEO
s, more than any other charity in the "public benefit" category. In calendar year 2008, $116,344 (1.68% of expenses) was paid as compensation to its president Judie Brown.
Pro-life
Opposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...
organizations in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The organization opposes abortion under any circumstance, contraception
Birth control
Birth control is an umbrella term for several techniques and methods used to prevent fertilization or to interrupt pregnancy at various stages. Birth control techniques and methods include contraception , contragestion and abortion...
, embryonic stem cell research, and euthanasia
Euthanasia
Euthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering....
. Its current president is co-founder Judie Brown
Judie Brown
Judith Ann Limbourne "Judie" Brown is the president and co-founder of the American Life League, reportedly the largest Catholic pro-life organization in the United States...
and its headquarters are in Stafford, Virginia
Stafford, Virginia
Stafford is a census-designated place in and the county seat of Stafford County in the northern part of the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. The population as of the 2010 Census was 4,320. It lies north of Fredericksburg, approximately south of metropolitan Washington, D.C., and about north of...
.
Projects
American Life League sponsors several projects, including:- Celebrate Life magazine
- Crusade for Life in which pro-lifers travel about the country and give speeches in
- Crusade for the Defense of Our Catholic Church in which ALL seeks to persuade Catholics about its views on abortion, as well as expose pro-choicePro-choiceSupport for the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-choice movement, a sociopolitical movement supporting the ethical view that a woman should have the legal right to elective abortion, meaning the right to terminate her pregnancy....
Catholic politicians who knowingly defy Church doctrineDoctrineDoctrine is a codification of beliefs or a body of teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the body of teachings in a branch of knowledge or belief system...
and statements by church officials, including Pope John Paul II, Mother Theresa, and Pope Benedict XVI. In 2004, ALL published a full-page advertisement in USA TodayUSA TodayUSA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
urging Catholic priests and bishops to deny CommunionEucharistThe Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
to Catholic legislators who support abortion rights. The League's slogan in this matter is "You can't be Catholic and pro-abortion." - National Pro-Life T-ShirtT-shirtA T-shirt is a style of shirt. A T-shirt is buttonless and collarless, with short sleeves and frequently a round neck line....
Week is an annual event typically during April when pro-lifers are encouraged to wear a t-shirt that carries a pro-life message. - Pro-Life Memorial Day falls on the first Monday of October, intentionally coinciding with the beginning of the US Supreme Court's fall term.
- Rock for Life is the largest pro-life organization in America geared towards young people and was created in response to Rock for Choice (a pro-choice group). Rock for Life's aim is to harness the popularity of rock music to spread its pro-life message. In doing this, Rock for Life supports pro-life musicians, distributes pro-life literature, and pickets at abortion businesses.
- STOPP International is ALL's plan for shutting down Planned ParenthoodPlanned ParenthoodPlanned Parenthood Federation of America , commonly shortened to Planned Parenthood, is the U.S. affiliate of the International Planned Parenthood Federation and one of its larger members. PPFA is a non-profit organization providing reproductive health and maternal and child health services. The...
, the largest abortion provider in America. Part of STOPP is the Ryan Report.
Controversy
ALL helped to establish the "rescue movement", which utilizes several tactics against abortion and related services. These tactics, adopted and popularized by ALL, include sidewalk counselingSidewalk counseling
Sidewalk counseling is a form of pro-life activism which is conducted outside of abortion clinics. Activists seek to communicate with those entering the building, or with passersby in general, in an effort to persuade them not to have an abortion or to reconsider their position on the morality of...
, and offering abortion alternatives to abortion-seeking patients. According to Brown these activities are free speech, and in 1994 ALL filed suit to challenge the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act
Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act
The Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act is a United States law that was signed by President Bill Clinton in May of 1994, which prohibits the following three things: the use of physical force, threat of physical force, or physical obstruction to intentionally injure, intimidate, interfere...
. In American Life League v. Reno http://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-4th-circuit/1054994.html, ALL lost in the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court refused to hear the case.
In the mid-1990s, the American Life League boycotted the Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
over the film Priest, in which a Roman Catholic priest deals with a variety of issues including his own homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
. Subsequently, ALL charged that Disney had concealed subliminal sexual messages in a number of its animated films, including The Lion King
The Lion King
The Lion King is a 1994 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the 32nd feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series...
, The Little Mermaid
The Little Mermaid (1989 film)
The Little Mermaid is a 1989 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale of the same name. Distributed by Walt Disney Pictures, the film was originally released to theaters on November 14, 1989 and is the twenty-eighth film in...
, and Aladdin. Disney denied all claims made by American Life League.
ALL has also come under criticism for how it spends its donations. In the fiscal year ending in 2005, ALL spent one third of its income on fundraising and administrative expenses, including almost 9% or $699,857 paid out to its CEO
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
s, more than any other charity in the "public benefit" category. In calendar year 2008, $116,344 (1.68% of expenses) was paid as compensation to its president Judie Brown.