(LifeSiteNews) – Like most of you, I thought the controversy over whether or not Olympian Simone Biles should have bowed out of the gymnastics event was ridiculous. I thought Charlie Kirk was a jackass for calling her a “sociopath;” I thought Robert P. George was correct in reminding people to treat a young woman with kindness and respect. Not everything needs to be a culture war.
That said, I was disappointed to see Simone Biles — who purports to be Catholic — come out as pro-abortion. After asking for “unpopular opinions” from her Instagram followers on Monday, the gymnastics superstar responded to someone who wrote “abortion is wrong” by disagreeing with her.
“I already know this is going to star the biggest argument & may even lose followers BUT I’m very much pro-choice,” Biles responded. “Your body. your choice. Also for everyone gonna say ‘just put it up for adoption’ it’s not that easy & coming from someone who was in the foster care system TRUST me foster care system is broken & it’s TOUGH especially on the kids & young adults who age out & adoption is expensive…im just saying.”
One person responded by tweeting: “Thoughts with all the kids in the foster care system today being told by @Simone_Biles that their lives are worth nothing and are better off dead.”
Biles responded angrily: “DO NOT misconstrue my words. That is not at all what I implied. I did NOT say I support to abort rather than to put them through the foster care system. What I did imply is that you should not control someone elses body/decision. Let’s be real what you care about is control…I have forever & will continue to support foster kids. AS I WAS ONE. I’ve been an advocate for foster kids and the system but you wouldn’t know that because you don’t follow me, you just like to open your mouth.”
She went on: “Also if you have a fake account don’t even talk to me. Y’all piss me off to no end. I’m done because you’ll twist my words however it feels fitting to spew hate. Also if anyone is seeing this just know I support you doing whatever feels fitting for YOU.”
Biles’ passion clearly comes from her own experience in the foster care system — she went hungry before being placed into care with her three siblings. The four children managed to stay together, and she and her younger sister Adria were eventually adopted by her maternal grandfather Ron Biles and his second wife in 2000. She would rise to global fame as one of the greatest gymnasts of all time.
But while Biles may not have been directly advocating for foster children to be aborted, she did clearly state that the issues in the foster care system and the difficulties suffered by foster children are one of the reasons she supports abortion. This is not to misconstrue her words, but to read them.
Pro-lifers were, understandably, disappointed by Biles’ statements. Her story has often been cited as an inspirational example of someone rising above their circumstances — a reminder that difficult beginnings do not necessarily dictate our trajectory. On Twitter, Nigerian pro-life activist Obianuju Ekeocha noted that: “It is always heartbreaking when people widely celebrated by Christians as admirable role models, come out in support of abortion.”
Lila Rose of Live Action had a similar reaction: “Simone Biles just announced on Instagram that she is very ‘pro-choice’ because ‘the foster care system is broken.’ Incredibly sad and awful. To have overcome a broken system as triumphantly as she has— yet wish death for other kids bc they may face foster care is beyond fathoming.” She went on: “Fight for foster care kids, make life better for them — don’t wish for their mothers to end their lives before they’ve even had a chance to live.”
Rose then urged people to tag Simone Biles in tweets that highlight the humanity of life in the womb, such as Live Action’s beautiful new video of a little girl in utero.
Perhaps Biles will see the video, and realize that not so very long ago, she was just like that little girl — and that, given the chance, that little girl could become just like her.
