News

Dec 8, 2008

A spokeswoman for the YWCA is denying reports that her organization supports the controversial Freedom of Choice Act.

The YWCA, formerly known as the Young Women's Christian Association, is celebrating its 150th anniversary. According to a report from CitizenLink.com, YWCA CEO Lorraine Cole reaffirmed the organization's pro-abortion stance and even stated that her organization supports the controversial Freedom of Choice Act. If passed, that act would abolish all state-level restrictions and limitations on abortion in America.

Cole allegedly made those remarks in a video interview with CNSNews.com. However, in an interview with OneNewsNow, YWCA spokeswoman Nancy Loving said Cole was misquoted.

"At no point did Dr. Cole, who is the YWCA CEO, ...state that we were in support of this legislation," she contends. "I believe that the question that was posed to her was whether or not she thought president-elect Obama would be supporting the legislation." (Watch video)

Loving did however affirm that the YWCA supports a "woman's right to choose," which includes abortion. When asked whether the organization still holds to any Christian aspect, Loving said that it does not.

"We officially changed the name of the organization to YWCA, so we no longer go by the moniker of the Young Women's Christian Association," she adds. "We welcome women and men and children of all religious faiths and denominations."

According to Loving, a majority of men and women across the religious spectrum support the notion that abortion should be legal. She adds that the YWCA has not received much criticism for its stance on abortion.

Loving notes that one organization did circulate an email asking subscribers to make their concerns known to the YWCA, which resulted in about a dozen emails and a few phone calls, but as she put it, "not a tidal wave of opposition."