August 8, 2023

Dear Friends,

As seen in Politico:

“On June 15, 2022, a freshman legislator in Louisiana’s House of Representatives accomplished something no other lawmaker or activist in the country could claim: She passed a law that is changing the online porn industry…

This bill & others like it didn’t originate from some evangelical PAC or conservative think tank. Their actual origin was, ironically, The Howard Stern Show.

It was December 2021 and Rep. Laurie Schlegel was on her “daily news scroll” through Apple News when she saw an article describing popstar Billie Eilish’s appearance on the infamous shock jock’s show. Eilish told Stern, “I used to watch a lot of porn, to be honest. I started watching porn when I was like 11. ... I think it really destroyed my brain and I feel incredibly devastated that I was exposed to so much porn.”

Schlegel, 46, had only been sworn in as a state representative six months earlier, after winning a bitter, low-turnout special election by 217 votes against an opponent with a famous name in New Orleans politics. He sent out a mailer saying that sending a social worker like Schlegel to the state house would be like pouring money down the drain. She compared him to a faceless mannequin in response.

Schlegel isn’t a social worker. She’s a sex addiction therapist. “That’s my specialty,” she told me, proudly. It’s even in her X bio. Already aware of the problem of childhood exposure to pornography due to her work, the Eilish interview inspired Schlegel to act.

 “I just thought how courageous it was. … It just sort of re-emphasized to me what a problem this is, especially for our children.”

To state legislatures, Schlegel seems to have a convincing argument. Not only have six states passed copycat legislation, but 16 more have introduced similar or nearly identical bills….”

According to Science News, scientists are getting concerningly close to creating human embryos in a lab to use for research.

Scientists claim that embryo models are not technically embryos because they are not created by two gametes. However, this assertion is scientifically inaccurate or, at the very least, a partial depiction. Human embryos can also be generated via somatic-cell nuclear-transfer cloning, a process that doesn't involve sperm or fertilization in any way.

The core ethical dilemma revolves around determining if these "models" are actual organisms or merely cell cultures growing in a controlled environment. This ethical differentiation holds significant moral implications, as designating them as organisms would classify them as developing human beings. This could potentially broaden the scope of experimentation on unborn life.

“Once again, biotechnology is racing ahead of our capacity to intellectually digest what is happening, and enforceable ethical boundaries on human studies are not even being contemplated,” writes Wesley Smith with Life News.

Republican Governor Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma signed an executive order last week that defines the terms "woman," "mother," and "female," as stated in a press release.

The "Women's Bill of Rights (LINK)'' was formulated in March 2022 by advocacy organizations Independent Women's Voice, Independent Women's Law Center, and Women's Liberation Front. Their reasoning behind this initiative was to address the challenges posed by "activists who dispute the biological basis of womanhood.”

The bill says that there are inherent biological distinctions between males and females, highlighting that women have unique attributes enabling them to give birth and conceive, while men generally exhibit greater size, strength, and speed compared to their female counterparts.

The executive order underscores the inconsistency observed in courts and policy which disingenuously define "woman" wrongly. This has prompted the need for a precise definition.

Additionally, the order recognizes that these distinctive differences necessitate varying approaches in contexts such as "athletics, prisons or other detention facilities, domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers, locker rooms, restrooms, and other areas where biology, safety, and/or privacy are implicated."

Unfortunately, common sense is rare commodity. We need this kind of courage in every state. We cannot protect women without first defining what a woman is!

Friends, LFF’s Silver Anniversary Gala is quickly approaching! You won’t want to miss this opportunity to celebrate the exemplary representation of lawmakers who stood for life, liberty, and limited government in Louisiana. Click here for more information.

In His Service,

Gene Mills
President, Louisiana Family Forum