Anti-Abortion Billboards to Pregnant L.A. Latinas: 'The Most Dangerous Place for a Latino Is in the Womb'

Unidosporlavida.org.mx

It's the evil, badly designed cousin of that infamous billboard in Manhattan's Soho district which read, "The most dangerous place for an African-American is in the womb." (During Black History Month, no less.) This time, though, psychotic pro-lifers are targeting L.A.'s fastest-growing population:

Latinos. (A group that now makes up more than half the city, in case you hadn't noticed; especially Exposition Park/South L.A., where the billboard glowers down.)

The message -- "El lugar más peligroso para un Latino es el vientre de su madre" -- hinges on a similar statistic as the billboard targeting black women. The OC Weekly translates an explanation from Unidos por la Vida's webiste:

"22 percent of all abortions in the United States each year happen among Latina women, and it's 2.7 times more likely that they will have an abortion than a white, non-Hispanic woman, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control."

L.A. advocacy group California Latinas for Reproductive Justice released the following presser in response to the "heinous" billboard (and reported others like it):

The problem in our communities is not abortion. What Latinas/os truly need to thrive is access to quality health care, good paying jobs to support their families, and quality education to provide positive life opportunities. "Despite Latinas experiencing multiple socio-economic disparities, Latinas still have high positive pregnancy and birth outcomes," says Marisol Franco, Director of Policy and Advocacy. "As a matter of fact, one can say a Latina womb is the safest place for a wanted Latino baby. These ads divert attention from Latinas'/os' real everyday concerns and thwart efforts to eradicate persistent systemic inequities."

Updates to come.

[@simone_electra/swilson@laweekly.com]