As of last Saturday, no more abortions will take place at the unlicensed Women’s Center in Nashville.
The owners of the facility officially closed their doors last weekend. The space they worked out of will soon get new tenants, said Tennessee Right to Life President Brian Harris on Monday.
Harris would not say who the new tenants are, but he did say they form a local nonprofit healthcare provider that “offers ethical and life-affirming services for low-income individuals.”
This mystery organization does not perform or refer for abortions, Harris told The Tennessee Star.
“I think the (Women’s Center) facility had a plan to go out of business, and they just began marketing the building,” Harris said, referring to physician and owner Gary Boyle, who is based out of northwest Tennessee.
Boyle is reportedly in his late 60s or early 70s by now.
“I think what you are seeing across the country is the aging of the abortionist, and that is one factor in the closure of this facility,” Harris said.
“It is very difficult to identify younger physicians who want to be involved in the dirty trade of abortion. Dr. Boyle is retirement age. I think — and I am conjecturing here — but I think he may well be trying to get out of the abortion business.”
As for the mystery tenant, Harris said he’d rather representatives from the group announce their plans on their own time.
“It is not necessarily a pro-life organization,” Harris said.
The Women’s Center was not licensed, due to legal disputes with the state that have gone on for nearly 20 years, Harris said.
As of now, the only remaining unlicensed abortion facility in Tennessee is in Bristol, he added.
There are five more facilities in Tennessee that offer surgical abortions, but those providers are licensed. There is also a Planned Parenthood Center in Knoxville that offers the abortion drug ru486, Harris said.
“The closure of this unlicensed facility has been a long-term priority for the Tennessee Right to life and clearly represents a milestone for pro-life efforts in our state,” Harris said.
“It’s the result of many factors, not the least of which is focused efforts to provide and promote better education about the practice of abortion and also the existence of life-affirming alternatives that are available in our communities throughout our state and nation.”
– – –
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
