Mark Robinson speaks to group that opposes birth control, report says

Robinson has often called for a complete abortion ban and, like the group PreBorn, says that life begins at conception. 

Mark Robinson, who has called abortion providers “butchers against humanity,” recently spoke at a gathering sponsored by a far-right Christian group that warns of the “dark truth of birth control.”

Robinson, the Republican nominee for governor, appeared in Tennessee over the weekend to talk to members of PreBorn, an anti-abortion organization which claims that birth control pills achieve the same result as abortion.

“The fact of the matter is that birth control is an abortifacient,” the group says on its website. “Though birth control has legitimate medicinal uses, the purpose of birth control is to induce a miscarriage of a developing baby.”

Birth control may not “stand out in comparison to the act of abortion” the group says, but, “though these two approaches to ensure a child is not born seem worlds apart, they both lead to the same result.” 

The organization also says it is “evil” of the US Food and Drug Administration to make one particular birth control pill, Opill, available over the counter.

Robinson’s appearance was first reported by Colin Campbell at WUNC. 

Campbell reported that Robinson’s speech “was part of an event to encourage men to ‘take a stand against the evil forces destroying American culture,’” but it is unclear what exactly Robinson said.

‘Life at conception’

Both Robinson and PreBorn say that life begins at conception, a belief used by many far-right lawmakers to justify the severe abortion bans passed by conservative legislatures after the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

The ‘life at conception’ belief was also, however, cited by the Alabama Supreme Court as justification for blocking access in the state to in vitro fertilization (IVF), the most popular fertility treatment in the US, which often discards unused frozen embryos. 

While many conservatives have tried to distance themselves from the Alabama ruling, Robinson declined to.

But Mike Lonergan, Robinson’s spokesman, said in a statement to Campbell that while Robinson would call for a “heartbeat bill,” a misleading term to describe bills banning abortion as early as six weeks , he would also be for “preserving access to IVF and birth control.”

Robinson, Lonergan said, would also support “exceptions for rape, incest and when the life of the mother is in danger.

Those statements, however, clash with countless other statements, posts, and appearances Robinson has made.

‘It’s not your body anymore’

Robinson has repeatedly called for an abortion ban with no exceptions for rape or incest, including in his 2020 memoir. He also stated last year that if he was elected governor, he would push for a law “that says you can’t have an abortion in North Carolina for any reason.”

In February, Robinson said that if elected, he would push first for a 6-week ban as the next step before working toward a full ban at conception. 

Josh Stein, the current Attorney General and Democratic nominee for governor, released a campaign ad this week highlighting several of Robinson’s comments on abortion.

“For me there is no compromise on abortion,” Robinson says in one clip. “It makes no difference to me why or how that child ended up in that womb.”

Robinson also says that the life of the baby is more important than the mother’s.

“Once you make a baby, it’s not your body anymore,” Robinson says in another clip cited in Stein’s ad. 

🚨NEW: Our first TV ad just went up! @MarkRobinsonNC is a direct threat to women’s reproductive freedoms. Don’t take our word for it — take his. pic.twitter.com/4i4wI77887

— Josh Stein (@JoshStein_) June 4, 2024

Doctors and nearly every medical association warns that abortion bans will result in more deaths in childbirth.

A recent study showed that a national abortion ban would increase the maternal death rate by 24%. For Black women, the maternal death rate would jump by 39%.

Robinson dismisses those concerns too, as Stein’s ad shows.

“Abortion in this country is not about protecting the lives of mothers,” Robinson says in another clip. “It’s about killing the child because you weren’t responsible enough to keep your skirt down.”