Don’t box me in because I am pro-life

It’s not always easy being pro-life. It can ruin a party conversation, sometimes an entire party. I know this first-hand; people make judgments about me the instant they hear I am pro-life. They pigeonhole me and assume they know my religion, my political affiliation, my charitable giving  and my opinions on a whole host of unrelated issues.

They are often wrong.

I’m tired of people pegging me as a right-wing fanatic because I believe abortion is a gross violation of the human rights of unborn children. I’ve grown weary of people accusing me of caring only for life in the womb, and nothing about the plight of migrant children.

To me, abortion is a civil rights issue, a foundational element of social justice. I believe everyone has the right to be fed, to be housed, to be educated, to be healthy, to be safe … but none of that is possible without the right to “be.”

I recently supported a project called “Bottles to the Border.” I’m guessing not many people have heard about it because it broke the stereotypical caricature of us narrow-minded conservative pro-lifers, a distortion all too often presented in the secular media.

The campaign aimed to bring supplies and resources to families seeking asylum at the southern border of the United States. It was started by a group called New Wave Feminists, whose founder was quoted as saying, “Our human dignity doesn’t begin at birth and it doesn’t end at the border.”

Amen to that. More than 50 other pro-life organizations joined the effort, including Consistent Life Network, Democrats for Life of America, And Then There Were None, and the American Solidarity Party. Together they filled an 18-wheeler truck with $120,000 worth of water, diapers, formula and hygiene supplies, and collected more than $72,000 in aid for respite centers at the border. They unloaded the truck in the blazing heat at a center in McAllen, Texas.

The provisions were donated to Catholic Charities there, and the monetary donations went to other respite centers without the storage space for the material goods. These centers are often the first point of contact for those who have come through a port of entry legally and have been released from immigration detainment centers. These people need a shower, cold water, a rest, some food, a bottle for their baby.

The number of migrants who are seeking to flee violence, persecution and other terrors in their home land has increased exponentially over the past three years. They’re looking for safety and asylum, and have every right to do so. Regardless of whether you want to build a wall or fight for sanctuary cities, are these people not worthy of basic necessities, refuge, compassionate care and respect?

This is what being pro-life is all about. Helping people. Putting love into action. Supporting our sisters and brothers from the first moment of creation through every stage of their existence.

So please don’t lump all pro-life people into a small, mislabeled box in which we don’t fit. I am proudly and unapologetically pro-life. That’s more than a political position; it’s an attitude and a way of living, one that is inclusive, comprehensive, and literally has no borders.

Kathleen M. Gallagher is the Director of Pro-Life Activities for the New York State Catholic Conference.