Kristan Hawkins
Born1985 (age 38–39)
Wellsburg, West Virginia, U.S.
EducationBethany College (BA)
Known forAnti-abortion activism
TitlePresident of Students for Life of America (SFLA)
Political partyRepublican

Kristan Hawkins (born 1985)[1] is an American anti-abortion activist who is the president of Students for Life of America (SFLA).[2]

Biography

Kristan Hawkins was born in 1985 in Wellsburg, West Virginia.[1][3] She was involved in her church in Wellsburg, later meeting her husband.[3]

At age 15, Hawkins began volunteering at a crisis pregnancy center in Steubenville, Ohio.[3] During her orientation at the center, she watched the anti-abortion film The Silent Scream, which alarmed her and put her on the path to anti-abortion activism. After volunteering at the center, she founded Teens for Life and joined the National Right to Life Committee and her local Republican chapter.[4]

She graduated with a B.A. in political science from Bethany College in West Virginia.[5] While in college, she worked for the Republican National Committee to reelect President George W. Bush, and for a year, she worked in Bush's administration.[6]

In 2006, Hawkins became president of Students for Life of America (SFLA).[1] Under her leadership, SFLA has grown to more than 1,400 campus groups in 50 states from 180 campuses. The organization is overseen by 80 paid staff, and over 160,000 anti-abortion activists have completed SFLA training.[4]

Current events

On June 25, 2022, Hawkins went on CNN with Pamela Brown to discuss abortion laws in a forced birth world post Roe v. Wade .[7]

In October 2022, Hawkins was involved in a legal controversy after she was interviewed by two Yale students posing as anti-abortion activists who granted her a false award. The interview was filmed to use the footage in a satirical video composed by the same students, aiming to expose the reality of conservatism in the Yale community. Hawkins's legal team served the students with a cease-and-desist order.[8]

The "Make Abortion Illegal Again Tour" brought her to the University of Cincinnati, where she spoke at Tangeman University Center (TUC) on October 4, 2022. UC students arranged the event, and UC Young Democratic Socialists of America (UC YDSA) organized a counter-protest outside while Hawkins spoke. Hawkins went on to explain that she believes that "we no longer live in a country where abortion is an uncontested norm."[9]

Hawkins and co-host Isabel Brown, a conservative forced birth commentator with Turning Point USA, were invited to speak at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) by Students for Life VCU. At the speaking venue, Hawkins and Brown were shouted at by protestors during their speech. Police asked Hawkins to leave the room to prevent further escalation, and she initially refused. Eventually, Hawkins and other anti-abortion students were contained in a locked safe room where they continued conversation. SFLA is providing security for Autumn Walser, the president of Students for Life at VCU, "for the near future" until it is deemed safe for her on campus.[10]

Hawkins held an event, "Lies Pro Choicers Believe," at the University of New Hampshire with Isabel Brown on April 18, 2023, in the Memorial Union Building. The event was countered by a "Choice & Cupcakes" event held in the same building at the same time and was eventually postponed due to the university wanting to avoid any perception that the university opposed a student event.[11]

In an interview by the host of NPR's “All Things Considered,” Ari Shapiro, Hawkins stated criticism over abortion rights. Hawkins argued issues over doctors giving abortions when the mother's life is at stake. She believes the only time it is acceptable is an ectopic pregnancy. In that case, she believes that it is fine to abort the child since it would not survive outside of the mother. She avoided directly answering questions regarding children in poverty when asked why no Republican action is taking place.[12]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Graham, Ruth (2022-07-03). "'The Pro-Life Generation': Young Women Fight Against Abortion Rights". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
  2. ↑ Fox & Friends (1 April 2023). "Extremists are 'worried' about the pro-life movement". Fox News. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 Thompson, Krissah (2023-05-17). "Two young women drive antiabortion movement's revival". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
  4. 1 2 "She helped kill Roe v Wade - now she wants to end abortion in America". BBC News. 2023-06-21. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
  5. ↑ Salai, Sean (20 January 2016). "Q&A with Students for Life president Kristan Hawkins". America Magazine. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  6. ↑ Godfrey, Elaine (19 April 2023). "The New Pro-life Movement Has a Plan to End Abortion". The Atlantic. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  7. ↑ "Pamela Brown challenges anti-abortion activist". CNN. 25 June 2022. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  8. ↑ Wollen, Miranda (9 November 2022). "Yale spoofers threatened with legal action by Students for Life America". Yale Daily News. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  9. ↑ Pope, Zurie (6 October 2022). "Anti-abortion activist speaks to UC community". News Record. The News Record. TNR. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  10. ↑ Tietz, Kendall (3 April 2023). "Pro-life leader fumes at Virginia university after violent left-wing protest: 'Knew they could create chaos'". Fox News. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  11. ↑ Fisher, Damien (13 April 2023). "UNH Pulls Planned 'Counter Programming' to Students for Life Event". NH Journal. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  12. ↑ Shapiro, Ari (June 27, 2022). "The future of the anti-abortion-rights movement". No. All Things Considered. NPR. npr.org. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
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