Ahead of the second Democratic presidential primary debate in Detroit Tuesday, pro-life Democrats will gather to demand greater inclusion in their party and its platform.

Confirmed speakers include Democrats for Life director Kristen Day, Students for Life Michigan Regional Coordinator Emily Stumpo and Joel Sheltrown. Sheltrown is a Democrat and former member of the Michigan House of Representatives.

“Polls consistently indicate that one-third of Democrats are pro-life,” Day said in a press release Monday. And yet, “None of the men or women vying to be our next President are seeking the support of the 21 million Democratic voters who would like to see abortion less necessary and less common.”

No Room for Life on the Debate Stage

It’s not just that Democratic candidates aren’t reaching out to pro-life voters. They’re running in the opposite direction.

A forum hosted by Planned Parenthood in June reaffirmed how rigid the Democrat Party’s abortion position has become. Former Vice President Joe Biden made clear his support there for repealing the Hyde Amendment, which bans federal funding for abortion. He previously supported Hyde. Apparently, that won’t fly for a Democratic presidential hopeful in 2020.

Biden is currently polling in front of the crowd of eager Democrats. Sens. Bernie Sanders (Vt.), Kamala Harris (Calif.), and Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) are tied for a close second. All three state strong support for advancing abortion. Harris and Warren are among the candidates with the most aggressive pro-abortion plans. All 24 Democratic presidential hopefuls support abortion.

Why Pro-Life Democrats Matter

The 2016 Democratic Platform offers no wiggle room. It states that Democrats “believe unequivocally” in “safe and legal abortion” access for every woman. It condemns efforts to defund Planned Parenthood. And it insists state and federal pro-life laws, like Hyde, must be overturned. The platform does not endorse any abortion limits.

Meanwhile, the 2016 Republican Platform affirms “the sanctity of human life.” It states that “the unborn child has a fundamental right to life which cannot be infringed.”

So why the push to make the Democratic Party welcome pro-lifers? Why not just convince all those leery of abortion to vote Republican? Pro-lifers hope for a day when everyone opposes abortion. But there are other reasons to push for pro-life inclusion in the Democratic Party.

Strategically, it’s important to plan for a “post-Roe America,” Matt Lamb of Students for Life told The Stream. With two Trump justices currently on the Supreme Court, many conservatives hope Roe v. Wade will be overturned. If Roe was overturned, the issue of abortion would be kicked back to every state. Not every state is run by pro-life Republicans, Lamb noted.

Moreover, “we don’t want people who are pro-life and Democrat to feel shut out of the pro-life movement,” he said. “We need as many possible ideas, experiences involved.” Being pro-life has a unifying affect on college campuses, he added.

Is the Future Pro-Life?

A recent poll by Students for Life’s Institute for Pro-life Advancement found that only 7 percent of Millennials (age 23-38 in 2019) support federally-funded abortion on demand. The same poll found that seven in 10 Millennials support restrictions on abortion. Last year, The Washington Post reported that Millennials are more likely than older Americans to support a ban on abortion after 20 weeks. Other reports have acknowledged younger generations’ more cautious views on abortion. This year, Millennials are surpassing Baby Boomers as the largest living adult generation. Their reservations on abortion are not insignificant.

Kristen Day believes forcing Democrats to support abortion or leave the party is a “losing strategy.” If the largest voting generation is leaning moderate on abortion — and it is — she could be right.

Tuesday’s press conference will be held at 6 p.m. ET outside the William Cotter Maybury Monument on E Adams Ave. Down the street, the debate will start at 8 p.m. ET at Fox Threatre.

Liberty McArtor is a freelance writer in the great state of Texas, where she lives in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex with her husband and son. Follow Liberty on Twitter @LibertyMcArtor, or learn more about her at LibertyMcArtor.com.