To mark the start of Pride Month we are pleased to present a recent interview with Marcos Lares of Rainbow Pro Life Alliance – formerly known as PLAGAL (Pro-Life Alliance of Gays and Lesbians) – ‘an organization that advocates on behalf of life while sustaining an environment that is inclusive for everyone no matter who you are’.

We began by asking Marcos to tell us a bit about Rainbow Pro Life Alliance.

“Rainbow Pro Life Alliance formerly known as PLAGAL is a nonprofit organization that advocates on behalf of the pre-born while promoting an inclusive society regardless of gender, sex, sexual orientation, etc. Our vision is to live in a world where every life is valued regardless of the circumstances or identity of the person.”

How did Marcos get involved in the movement?

“I got involved in the pro-life movement when I was sixteen years old through my local 40 Days for Life. I started praying outside the sidewalk, and as my confidence grew I began to reach out to women and direct them to life-affirming resources. Upon entering college I wanted to expand the pro-life presence amongst the youth which led me to founding two Student for Life Groups here in the Southwest region. It was then that I became more open about my sexuality which led me to gain ground and realize that pro-life people come in all colors. Upon graduation, I decided to join RPLA to increase the visibility of pro-lifers from all walks of life.”

As PLAGAL, the organisation has encountered hostility and homophobia in the pro-life movement in the past, evidenced by their attempted exclusion from the March for Life. Has this situation improved, and what should be done to ensure that the pro-life movement is LGBTQ-inclusive?

“The situation with homophobia has improved thanks to the efforts of those organizations that are secular in their stance on why abortion is not a religious issue, but a human rights issue. This past year our group participated with little to no resistance from religious organizations. To ensure that the movement is diverse our organization needs to continue to participate in big events like the March for Life so that others can see themselves in a movement that fights for the rights of all humans and that the only requirement to join is to be a human yourself.”

How do unplanned pregnancies affect LGBTQ people specifically?

“While it may be a smaller number of pregnancies that arise from the LGBTQ community, our visibility is very important. For example, when trans men find themselves in an unexpected pregnancy the safest way to continue would include stopping testosterone/HRT. In addition to the stigmatization that pregnant men already face from their community and medical professionals, stopping hormones is likely to add additional fear of acceptance throughout pregnancy. Advocating that these patients be treated with the same respect as those from cisgender pregnancies is vital to their wellbeing.”

How big is the pro-life LGBTQ community? How have other LGBTQ groups or individuals responded to RPLA?

“I would compare the prolife LGBTQ community to a sleeping giant. We have yet to awaken but the more we demand for representation the bigger the numbers will be. It’s only a matter of time till the LGBTQ community as a whole begins to realize that the right to life should be for everyone, not just those with additional characteristics.”

What does Marcos see RPLA’s number one role as being? Is there anything in particular that they’re focusing on at the minute?

“We are focusing on diversifying the pro-life movement by including ourselves in big name events like PRIDE and the March for Life where we can destroy the narrative that pro-lifers are just straight, white, old men. Increasing viability is one of our main goals as we strive for a world free from violence, especially violence in the womb.”

Follow Rainbow Pro Life Alliance on Twitter @RainbowProLife