Georgia Right to Life
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| Founder | Jay and Cheryl Bowman |
|---|---|
| Type | IRS exemption status: 501(c)(4) |
| Focus | Education, Legislation, Political Action |
| Location |
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Area served
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Georgia |
| Method | Donations |
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Key people
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Ricardo Davis, President Zemula Fleck, Executive Director |
Ricardo Davis, President
Georgia Right to Life (GRTL) is a pro-life advocacy organization that is non-profit, non-partisan, and non-sectarian. It was incorporated in 1971 by Jay and Cheryl Bowman. In 1973, it became the state affiliate of the Washington, D.C. based National Right to Life Committee in response to the Supreme decision of Roe v. Wade which legalized abortion.
GRTL serves as Georgia’s largest pro-life organization with grassroots chapters across more than 30 counties in Georgia and more than 240,000 identified pro-life households. Georgia Right to Life is organized for activities in the areas of education, legislation, and political action. The organization uses the aforementioned methods to oppose legalized abortion, infanticide, euthanasia, embryonic stem cell research, human cloning and artificially produced genetic transformation.
Georgia Right to Life, which was originally titled the Georgia Right to Life Committee, was established in 1970. The organization changed its name to Georgia Right to Life in the mid-1980s. Its first major action was a letter-writing campaign in the same year. The campaign encouraged Georgians to vote for pro-life candidates. By 1971, the Georgia Right to Life Committee was incorporated and became a member of the National Right to Life Coalition. An office was set up in the garage of the Bowman's home and volunteers helped mail packets of information and a newsletter to thousands of Georgians. Several months later, Georgia Right to Life began establishing local chapters in other parts of the state.
In 1973, Georgia Right to Life launched a pro-life campaign in reaction to the Supreme Court case Roe v Wade which was decided on January 22, 1973. The Bowmans appeared on television and radio programs as speakers on abortion and other pro-life issues. Jay Bowman appeared in the "hot seat" on the WAGA show "Confrontation" and Cheryl Bowman appeared on WSB-TV's "Today in Georgia." The group gained national recognition when an article about Georgia Right to Life was printed in a 1975 issue of "Newsweek". The organization eventually relocated its office to Decatur, Georgia.
The Bowmans left Georgia Right to Life in the late 1970s. Mary Boyert joined GRTL's executive committee in 1978. She served as the Education Director from 1979-1980. She was elected president of the organization in 1980. She served for three consecutive terms (1980–1986). After her third and final term,Boyert was appointed to the Executive Director position in late 1986. She held that post until being appointed the Archdiocesan Pro-Life Director in 2000. Boyert established the Georgia Right to Life Executive Committee, the Georgia Right to Life Educational Trust Fund, and the Georgia Right to Life Political Action Committee. Under Ms. Boyert's presidency, local chapters were founded and the organization's bimonthly newsletter. By the 1990s, 225,000 pro-life households identified with the organization.
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Wikipedia