Star of the biopic “Unplanned,” Ashley Bratcher responded to a letter written by abortion advocate Alyssa Milano to Georgia House Speaker David Ralston and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp threatening to boycott the state if a proposed pro-life heartbeat bill passes.
Milano slammed H.B. 481, the Living Infants Fairness and Equality (LIFE) Act, which bans abortions if a heartbeat is detected. As The Daily Wire reported, over fifty celebrities have signed the letter in solidarity.
Responding on Deadline, Bratcher, who portrays pro-life advocate Abby Johnson in the film, says she is a “proud Georgian” and that she is “incredibly proud of my home state for taking a stand in the fight for life amidst backlash and dubious threats”:
For the latter part of a year I’ve watched as women I’ve admired, like you, spoke out in regards to women’s rights, more specifically women’s reproductive rights. With radical laws like the ones in New York and Vermont being passed, it’s more critical than ever that we are using our voices to fight for the rights of women. One problem, you’re forgetting about the rights of women within the womb. If feminism is all about equal rights, then where are her rights?
She also criticized Milano for saying that the “state leaders are going down a divisive road once again, refighting culture wars and jeopardizing one of the state’s biggest sources of revenue.”
Bratcher continued:
Well Alyssa, let me make something very clear to you. In Georgia, we care just as much about being pro-life as being pro-film. We don’t believe in putting a price tag on the value of a human life. Our brave leaders have stepped up to say enough is enough, we will no longer sit idly by as innocent lives are taken by the thousands each day. If you fault Georgia for choosing to be morally correct over politically correct, then that says more of your personal agenda than the goal of our governor to protect life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all. You claim that the HB481 “Heartbill Bill” would make Georgia the most regressive state in the country; I couldn’t disagree more. Abortion is so 1973. Welcome to 2019, a time in which medical advances preserve the life of babies born as early as 21 weeks. In case you didn’t know, that’s three weeks earlier than what most states in the U.S. consider “viable” in their abortion legislation.
Bratcher also argues that women do not seek abortions because they feel “empowered,” but because modern feminists claim women cannot be mothers and successful. She goes on to argue that Hollywood’s glamour has lost its appeal to Americans.
“How sad it is that tax credits are a more important topic than the sanctity of human life,” she concludes. “Mother to mother, I invite you to see my new movie, ‘Unplanned.’ Abby Johnson’s testimony changed my life. Who knows, maybe it could change yours too.”
“Unplanned” is based on the memoir by Abby Johnson, a former Planned Parenthood employee who left the abortion organization and become a pro-life advocate. It opens in theaters on March 29th.