West Hollywood : City Declared Pro-Choice

The City Council on Monday declared West Hollywood a pro-choice city, kicking off an educational campaign.

Council members said they hope their action will lend support to local pro-choice organizations and prompt neighboring cities to follow suit.

More than two dozen groups from Southern California turned up for the meeting, including the National Organization for Women, the Asian Pacific Women’s Network and Catholics for Choice. They distributed literature and cheered when Councilwoman Abbe Land read the official proclamation.

“The city’s action validates our fight for choice,” Juanita Chavez, a spokeswoman for the National Assn. of Social Workers, said afterward. “It tells us that there are pro-choice legislators no matter what opposition there is in Washington.”

The event drew a number of politicians, including State Assemblyman Terry B. Friedman (D-Los Angeles) and state Sen. Herschel Rosenthal (D-Los Angeles). At the meeting, city officials distributed T-shirts and posters created for the event. West Hollywood is one of the first cities in the country to declare itself pro-choice, council members said.