Two political commentators debated the ethics of legalizing abortion at a student-organized Georgetown University event Jan. 22.
Georgetown Right to Life (RTL), a student organization that advocates against abortion, and the Philonomosian Society, a debate society that promotes dialogue, hosted a debate between Lila Rose, the founder of the anti-abortion group Live Action, and Suzanne Lambert, a TikTok influencer, comedian and podcast host, on whether abortion should be legal. Elizabeth Oliver (CAS ʼ26), RTL’s president, and Zadie Weaver (CAS ʼ28), the president of Philonomosian’s liberal cohort, moderated the debate.
Saahil Rao (SFS ʼ27), the president of Philonomosian, said encouraging dialogue is important, especially around contentious issues like abortion.
“The toughest issues, even and especially the ones where it seems like the two sides share no preconceptions and will come to no agreement, are the issues which are the most important to debate,” Rao said at the event. “The other side, whoever that is for you, will not go away if you ignore them.”
Rose said the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates medication, should ban abortion pills in order to completely abolish legal abortion.
“The casualties of abortion are children, but they are also women, and that’s why we are calling on the FDA to act to ban the abortion pill and stop selling drugs that kill via our postal mail system,” Rose said at the event. “It is time for us to abolish abortion and create a civilization that protects and defends every single human life.”
Lambert said banning abortion, which most Americans oppose, denies pregnant women bodily autonomy.
“Consent is ongoing and revocable,” Lambert said at the event. “The question ‘should abortion be illegal?’ posits that only pregnant women and girls might be unable to say no. Why is pregnancy the only situation where bodily autonomy disappears? I reject that fully, and so does the overwhelming majority of Americans.”
The Pew Research Center found in 2024 that 63% of U.S. adults support legal abortion in all or most cases, while 36% oppose it.
Lambert said anti-choice policies prioritize fetuses, leaving women vulnerable to government control over their reproductive decisions.
“My opponent often speaks about anti-choice policies protecting the most vulnerable, to mean fetuses,” Lambert said. “But when I think of our society’s most vulnerable, I think of the women who find themselves at the mercy of our government, who force their family planning decisions upon them.”
Rose said pregnancy creates parenting responsibilities, including carrying a pregnancy to term and transferring the child to others.
“Biologically speaking, looking at the reality of what has happened, your life did not begin at birth,” Rose said. “My life, your life, Suzanne’s life, it began at the moment of fertilization. Once you are a parent, then you have responsibilities, and these responsibilities include the safe transfer of that baby to somebody else if you’re not able to care for him or for her.”
Rose said abortion is a tool for oppression.
“The reality is abortion has always been a tool of the powerful to oppress the powerless, and it has always been the tool of those who are irresponsible to reject the sacredness of human life and the responsibilities that come with sex,” Rose said.
“Once you are pregnant, you are a parent,” Rose added.
Lambert said that anti-abortion laws, not abortion, are the oppressor.
“The pregnant woman is unquestionably a person, though no other person is legally required to use their body to sustain another,” Lambert said. “Pregnancy is the only case where some argue that forced bodily use is acceptable. We’re not forced to donate our organs. We’re not forced to donate blood.”
Rose said she also supports bodily autonomy.
“I agree with bodily autonomy,” Rose said. “I don’t think anyone should force anyone against their will to get pregnant. I agree that we have the right to protect our bodies and to care for our bodies. The government should not be forcing people to have children or not have children.”
Lambert said that personal decisions about pregnancy should be respected.
“Each person’s circumstances are different,” Lambert said. “Each pregnancy is unique. These personal decisions should be respected and valued. Pregnancy cannot be the single exception where bodily autonomy disappears.”
Rao said it is crucial to engage in debate even with those with conflicting viewpoints.
“It is important and very necessary to keep facilitating that clash again and again and again, each time hoping that fragments of the truth will be found among the strongest and most unapologetic and most principled arguments,” Rao said.
