Cordileone: San Francisco ballot measure on 'reproductive freedom' targets pro-life clinics

SAN FRANCISCO (OSV News) -- Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone of San Francisco is urging all "faithful Catholics" to vote no on a November ballot proposition that he and other Catholic leaders say targets two pro-life clinics in the city.

Proposition O, also known as the San Francisco Reproductive Freedom Act, would establish "comprehensive reproductive freedom as San Francisco's official policy," says the measure, which just needs a simple majority of "yes" votes.

It would require signs be placed in the public right of way that single out pro-life clinics "as not providing the full range of reproductive rights because they do not do abortions or refer for abortion," Archbishop Cordileone said in an Oct. 3 video message urging a "no" vote on the measure.

These centers "would also be singled out on a Department of Public health website," he said, noting that the city's two pro-life clinics being "targeted by Proposition O" are both licensed medical facilities and "help women, children, and the entire family without regard to ability to pay."

"Why doesn't Proposition O require the city to install signage outside facilities that do abortions to direct women to places where they will be supported in giving birth?" the archbishop asked. "Why doesn't it require such facilities to post the same signage announcing that they do not provide the full range of reproductive rights because they only provide abortions and contraception and do not offer life-affirming alternatives?"

"Did the propositions authors truly believe in choice?" he asked, adding that "having babies is something that falls under reproductive health care."

Mayor London Breed introduced the measure in June, two years after the U.S. Supreme Court in its Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade and returned the issue of abortion to the states.

Supporters of Proposition O include Nicole Barnett, CEO of Planned Parenthood Northern California; Catherine Stefani, Myrna Melgar and Hillary Ronen of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors; and Heidi Sieck, the founder of the national political-engagement platform Vote Pro-Choice. Among its opponents, besides the San Francisco Archdiocese, is Melanie Salazar, executive director of Pro-Life San Francisco, who has called Proposition O "abortion extremism."

When she introduced the measure, Breed said in a statement, "The SF Reproductive Freedom Act sends a clear message across the nation that San Francisco continues to be a leader in supporting reproductive rights and we will not tolerate any level of disruption."

"It is unthinkable that forces are at work to prevent a woman from being able to make decisions about her own body," Breed said. "We have stood on the right side of history before and now, more than ever, we will work harder to get back what was taken and preserve what we know to be a core value in this country."

In his video statement, Archbishop Cordileone asked, "Why would anyone want to stigmatize a primary health care facility and a pregnancy resource center that give pregnant women support for having their babies?"

Archbishop Cordileone said that if approved by voters, Proposition O "would endanger the employees, volunteers, patients and clients of life-affirming state licensed health clinics because by singling out facilities that refuse to perform abortions and potentially opens them up to abusive behavior by opponents this flies in the face of the measures language that states people in San Francisco should always be able to access reproductive health care services free from coercion threat violence or fear."

"If we want to create a civil society, we must affirm across the board support for human life. That means alternatives to abortion and euthanasia, repealing the death penalty and working to end all racial and ethnic discrimination," Archbishop Cordileone concluded.