“When our team learned the fundraising nature of the event in question, the decision was made to cancel it and refund all deposits to the event organizer,” a restaurant spokeswoman told the Catholic News Agency (CNA) in an article at the National Catholic Register.

CNA notes that nowhere in Busboys and Poets’ event guidelines does it mention that its policies discriminate by ideology. But that seems to be the case. 

“While we welcome conversations from individuals expressing different viewpoints and pride ourselves on being a venue for respectful conversations between diverse groups, we are also a safe space,” the spokeswoman said. “As such, we cannot knowingly accept events designed to fund an agenda which our community members believe to be trampling on the rights of others.”

The restaurant “stands firmly on the belief that women have the right to make their own reproductive health decisions,” the spokeswoman said.

A DFLA press release says the event had been planned for several months, but it was abruptly canceled last week after Busboys and Poets denounced the group, saying “guests have reached out about the nature and tenor of the event.” 

“The Catering Director mentioned to me that Planned Parenthood holds events at the venue which I did not think was relevant to the conversation,” DFLA Executive Director Kristen Day said. “Clearly, Busboys and Poets caved to pressure instead of abiding by the contract we signed.”

Busboys and Poets is a well-known eatery and progressive hub in DC, styling itself as “a restaurant, bar, bookstore, events space, and cultural hub where art, politics and culture intentionally collide.”

But not all sides of politics are invited, apparently, not even in the political center of the country. Whether guests “reached out” or Busboys and Poets staff themselves decided they couldn’t be associated with prolifers, it’s sad to see a restaurant chain shutting down discussions about abortion.

“Standing for life is the most compassionate position someone can hold,” Day said. “Yet, the pro-abortion movement is so committed to the abusive tactics that they want to use institutions to silence dissent.”

Americans are still deeply divided on the subject of abortion, which is far from culturally settled. The more groups shut down dialogue about abortion with the assertion that “women have the right to make their own reproductive health decisions” more than babies have a right to be born, the more difficult it will be for differing sides to find common ground in serving women—and for prolifers to find a seat at the table to make the case that all human beings, born or not, deserve a chance at life.