It goes without saying that "politics happen" -- but they should not happen on the taxpayer dime on lampposts along Market Street in San Francisco. The Life Legal Defense Foundation has challenged the City of San Francisco with a blatant violation of its own city code. This month, inflammatory political statements promoting a Ms. Magazine-initiated pro-abortion campaign now waft over foot and auto traffic, as this municipal local marketing tool is abused, allowing feminist rhetoric to take the place intended for promotion of farmers' markets and neighborhood festivals.
The city regularly authorizes the display of banners to promote "city-sponsored," "city-funded," or "city-wide" events or "series of related events of interest to a significant portion of the residents of San Francisco and/or tourists." San Francisco does allow some non-event banners to be posted on city-owned utility poles, but they are restricted to "city convention facility banners" and "city neighborhood banners." A typical non-event banner would be the non-controversial San Francisco State University banners urging San Franciscans to "Support Public Higher Education: The Future Depends On It."
The offending banners, issued by the Trust Women Silver Ribbon Campaign, bear blatantly political statements, including "U.S. Out of My Uterus," "Reproductive Rights are Human Rights," and "San Francisco is Pro-Choice," slogans which are clearly designed to provoke the ire of those who do not share the printed sentiments. The authors of the Silver Ribbon Month website reference a 2011 pro-abortion Ms. Magazine blog as the impetus behind the project, which is actually an event only in the virtual sense.
"The city minions who 'approved' these illegal banners might have thought that the public would ignore the challenge, but they are in error," said Dana Cody, Executive Director, Life Legal Defense Foundation. "We also believe this puts a stick in the eye of pro-life advocates who will be marching down Market Street on January 21 for the annual March for Life."
Contact: Tom Ciesielka
Source: The Life Legal Defense Foundation
