Ä Area: HOLYSMOKE ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
  Msg#: 2367                                         Date: 12-10-95  02:28
  From: Lynda Bustilloz                              Read: Yes    Replied: No 
    To: All                                          Mark:                     
  Subj: Clinic Escorts
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
Sunday 4/4/93 Pittsburgh Post Gazette
(reprinted without permission)

Abortion foes imitate clinic escorts
By Ellen M. Perlmutter

On at least two Saturdays a month, 18-year old Heather Hoff dons a
yellow T-shirt with the word "Escort" across the front and posts
herself outside an East Liberty abortion clinic.

But there is one key difference between Hoff and the usual escorts
who accompany patients into abortion clinics -- Hoff opposes abortion.

Its the latest wrinkle in the street-corner struggle of anti-abortion
and abortion-rights activists.  Anti-abortion advocates, usually
teens, have started wearing the same kind of identifying t-shirts as
abortion-rights escorts and accompanying the women as they approach
the clinics.

Hoff is clear about her mission:
"We're here trying to confuse the girls," she said of the women who
were entering Allegheny Reproductive Services yesterday.

Retorted Ann Harris, a spokeswoman for the National Abortion Rights
Action League: "It concerns us that this is an obvious attempt to
deceive.  Women [entering clinics] are told to look for people in
yellow t-shirts.  This is an ugly tactic."

Hoff and her friends from Pittsburgh Full Gospel Church in Plum
planted themselves yesterday of four corners of North Highland Avenue
and Broad Street.

Hoff and her friends' t-shirts read "ESCORT" in black letters, while
abortion rights advocates' t-shirts read "PRO-CHOICE ESCORT" in
similar black letters.

There were about 20 escorts from each side, focusing on women who came
to the clinic every half hour or so.

The t-shirted anti-abortion activists tended to be boys and girls from
12 to 18, while the abortion-rights escorts were all adults.

"Kids are a little less imposing," said Rob Kline of Lower Burrell, a
regular anti-abortion protester.  "They're not as intimidating as a
full-grown man or woman coming up to you."

Harris countered: "The thought of a 12-year-old dancing up to a
pregnant woman to talk about her reproductive rights is almost
ludicrous.  Besides, woman don't come to this street corner to make a
decision.  Our goal is to try and keep things calm and focus on the
woman." 

It was impossible to tell how the women entering the clinic were
affected by the competing escorts.  Most quickly headed to the clinic's
doors, being careful not to look at the people huddling around them.

In each case, almost as though they had practiced it, two
anti-abortion activists and two abortion-rights advocates rushed to
both sides of the woman , surrounding her in yellow.

The anti-abortion escorts tried to hand the woman brochures and said
they urged them not to go through with  the procedure.  The
abortion-rights escorts said they tried to keep the woman calm and let
them know they could enter the clinic safely.

"It's not that we're being radical," said anti-abortion escort Angie
Dawson, 15.  "I'm here because my friends had abortions and there's no
need for that."

Lesley Dick, 18, said she had seen women turn back because of her
group's efforts.

But Harris said the latest tactic was nothing more than "an
annoyance".

The anti-abortion teen-agers, she said, "gallop toward" women.  "We
don't do that.  We're not going to change what we do because it will
only escalate the problem.  The patients are getting inside
effectively.  There are no differences in that respect."


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 ! Origin: The only intelligent fundy...is an EX-fundy. (1:109/601)