D.C. Restaurant Refuses to Honor Reserved Event for Pro-Life Group: ‘Trampling on Rights of Others’

A restaurant chain’s Washington, DC, location has refused to honor an event it scheduled with a group’s “March for Life Breakfast’ because the organization espouses pro-life views.

The K Street location of Busboys and Poets notified Democrats for Life of America (DFLA) on January 11 it would not be honoring the group’s reservation for its event that coincides with the annual March for Life on the National Mall January 21.

“When our team learned the fundraising nature of the event in question, the decision was made to cancel it and refund all deposits to the event organizer,” a spokeswoman for Busboys and Poets told Catholic News Agency (CNA).

The spokeswoman said the chain “stands firmly on the belief that women have the right to make their own reproductive health decisions,” and added:

While we welcome conversations from individuals expressing different viewpoints and pride ourselves on being a venue for respectful conversations between diverse groups, we are also a safe space. As such, we cannot knowingly accept events designed to fund an agenda which our community members believe to be trampling on the rights of others.

As Breitbart News reported, a Knights of Columbus/Marist poll released in January 2021 found most Americans support restrictions on abortion and oppose the government spending their tax dollars on abortions within the country and overseas.

The poll found that 58 percent of those surveyed said they oppose taxpayer funding of abortion within the United States, including 31 percent of Democrats, 83 percent of Republicans, and 65 percent of independents.

Additionally, results showed 77 percent of Americans either “oppose” or “strongly oppose” the use of taxpayer funds for abortions overseas, an uptick of two percentage points from the 75 percent who responded similarly in the last two annual polls. Of those who oppose taxpayer funding of abortions abroad, 55 percent are Democrats, 95 percent are Republicans, and 85 percent are independents.

Only 19 percent of Americans said they either “support” or “strongly support” taxpayer funding of abortions outside the U.S.

And even among those who identify as “pro-choice,” 64 percent say they oppose the use of their tax dollars to support abortion overseas.

The Marist Poll also found more than three-fourths of Americans (76 percent) back significant restrictions on abortion, including a majority who identify as “pro-choice.”

Dr. Barbara Carvalho, director of the Marist Poll said:

While the number of people who identify as ‘pro-life’ and ‘pro-choice’ tends to fluctuate with the public debate, when given a broader choice of policy options, there is a strong consensus among Americans on abortion. Survey results reveal support for abortion restrictions and an aversion for use of taxpayer funding for abortions abroad.

According to recent data provided by Worldometer, abortion was the leading cause of death globally in 2021.

Nearly 43 million unborn babies were killed in utero, as of noon on December 31, 2021, while 8.2 million people died from cancer, 5 million due to smoking, 1.7 million from HIV/AIDS, 1.3 million due to traffic accidents, and 1 million people from suicide, Breitbart News reported.

CNA noted Busboys and Poets’ Event Guidelines fail to mention events at the combination restaurant-bookstore must be approved for the nature of their content.

The woke venue touts on its website:

DLFA said in a press release this week its event at the venue had been planned for months.

“Busboys and Poets e-mailed DFLA to inform them that the venue was canceled because ‘guests have reached out about the nature and tenor of the event,’” the pro-life organization shared. “The final decision came after DFLA’s Executive Director, Kristen Day, spoke with one of the restaurant’s managers.”

Day explained:

The Catering Director mentioned to me that Planned Parenthood holds events at the venue which I did not think was relevant to the conversation. Clearly, Busboys and Poets caved to pressure instead of abiding by the contract we signed.

DFLA’s National Communications Director, Jess Meeth, told CNA she was unsure how the restaurant’s guests discovered a pro-life group was holding a private event at the venue.

“Pro-life Americans should absolutely care about this cancellation, regardless of their political party,” she told CNA. “Abortion is a human rights issue that can’t be confined to one political party. We need bipartisan support and bipartisan efforts from conservatives, liberals, and everyone in between.”

“It was disappointing to receive this cancellation as many of our members are loyal patrons of the venue,” Day also said in the press statement.

She also shared with donors and supporters in an email:

Americans need to know what this cancel culture and top-down hostility toward the life movement results in. It results in bullying, discrimination, and cancellation. Every American has the right to be heard!

Standing for life is the most compassionate position someone can hold. Yet, the pro-abortion movement is so committed to the abusive tactics that they want to use institutions to silence dissent. Don’t let this happen. I can promise you, this isn’t the last you’ve heard from us.

“Today shows us that pro-life Democrats are being shunned and shut out, and not only by the Big Tent Party,” Day said. “Pro-life Democrats need to be accepted and included, and we will not give up in showing that being ‘pro-life’ and ‘Democrat’ are not oxymorons. DFLA will continue to magnify a Whole Life voice and fight for diversity.”