“Change is here” Lila Rose wins pro-life debate in Yale University

Image credit: Screengrab via Live Action YouTube

In a debate (see below) that lasted two hours in Yale University, Lila Rose won Yale students over on the pro-life argument as she continued to defend the humanity and thus intrinsic right to life of the unborn child.

Last Tuesday, 16th September, Lila Rose went to Yale University to take part in a debate, now available on YouTube, with former Catholics for Choice president and founding president of the National Abortion Federation, Frances Kissling, on the topic on abortion and whether the unborn child had the equal right to life.

Rose had announced on social media that she had originally turned down the debate but felt called to take part after the news of the death of conservative and pro-life activist Charlie Kirk the week before.

During the debate, where over 300 people registered to attend, Kissling made the claim that unborn children do not have the same value as other humans. She also claimed that deciding on whether nor not to have an abortion was the same as deciding "how much meat you're going to eat" and "how we spend our money and how much of it we give to others who have more needs than us.” Another statement she made was that what it means to be human has changed over time because “the world has changed."

However, Rose was quick to point out that unborn children are human, deserving of the right to life, and referred to the drastic consequences of times in history when society or political parties dehumanised certain groups of people.

“When you strip people of their humanity, you open the door to every kind of violence,” she said

"History is full of moments when humanity was denied and the consequences were catastrophic," she continued. "And in every case, the humanity that is denying the rights or the value to the other has more power. They have more strength. They have more ability to dominate."

"The Nazis, called Jews 'Der untermensch' - subhuman" and considered Jewish and Slavic people to be "morally degenerate, uncivilized, subhuman."

“This wasn't just rhetoric. This was a logical prelude to mass genocide. The Nazis had an official policy that Jews, the disabled and others were considered life unworthy of life. And as we know, over six million were exterminated in the Holocaust. Today, ongoing dehumanization exists not only of our unborn here, but of children across the world, including places like Israel and Gaza.”

“Entire families, men, women, and children were treated as property, not people. The Supreme Court of our country, in Dred Scott v Sanford decision of 1857, said that black men and women were, quote, 'So far inferior that they had no rights which the white man was bound to respect.' That judicial lie about their humanity paved the way for brutal oppression.”

"Killing preborn children must be illegal for the same reasons that killing born children, a newborn, must be illegal. Because our human value, our worth, is not based on our size, on our age, on our level of development, or on our location or dependency.”

At one point, Kissling challenged Rose, who is known for her undercover videos in Planned Parenthood, on issues that have come from pregnancy resources centres.

“No human is perfect, and no organisation is perfect,” Rose responded.

“At pregnancy resource centres there are children that are not being dismembered alive as they are at abortion clinics. At pregnancy resource centres, there are resources being offered to pregnant mothers that are not being offered at Planned Parenthood and abortion clinics across the country. Free and confidential support and adoption referrals are being offered that are not being done at Planned Parenthood and abortion clinics across the country.”

“I am sure that in the world of the nonprofit space of pregnancy resource centres, there have been mistakes that have been made. That is human. But again, these are resource centres that are giving away hundreds of millions of dollars in free support to low-income women.”

The students at the university voted 60-31 in favour of Rose.

In a social media post following the debate, Rose said "Debate just ended. We won. The room voted for the pro-life side. Yale Organizer was shocked. Change is here. Thank you for praying."

Debate just ended.

We won. The room voted for the pro-life side.

Yale organizer was shocked.

Change is here.

Thank you for praying 🙏 pic.twitter.com/fLWtBO80e6
— Lila Rose (@LilaGraceRose) September 17, 2025

Sandra Parda of the Life institute commented, saying “This is a fantastic outcome to see at a university. Lila Rose’s powerful words advocating for the equal right to life of the unborn child were heard and the students came out in support of her.”

“Pro-lifers should find inspiration from this and see that as we continue to stand up to defend unborn children, we can change hearts and minds. The side that promotes the value and dignity of all lives, from the moment of conception until natural death, will always win.”