Washington, DC -- Two pro-abortion groups have joined forces with a gay rights organization to rank states on a combined scale covering both abortion and homosexual issues. Though the political issues are unrelated, the organizations released the rankings with the hope of sparking more alliances between pro-abortion and pro-homosexual groups.
In releasing the rankings, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force joined two pro-abortion groups, Ipas and the SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Health Collective.
They ranked the states based on 25 laws including restrictions on abortion such as conscience clauses, promoting the morning after pill, parental involvement laws, abortion facility regulations, and encouraging abstinence.
Most of the laws the groups focused on had to do with abortion and ************SPAM/BANNEAR************ hate crimes laws, measures promoting heterosexual marriage, prohibition of gay stepparents, and same-sex partnerships covered the gay rights portion of the survey.
According to the rankings, New Mexico and New York share the top spot as the most pro-abortion and gay friendly states. Ohio and South Dakota are tied for last.
States faring poorly in the pro-abortion survey include Oklahoma, Indiana, Utah, Idaho, Mississippi, and North Dakota.
Those states found to be most supportive of abortion and gay rights include California, Washington, New Jersey and most of the New England states.
The rankings don't necessarily upset pro-life lawmakers who want to increase state limits on abortion until Roe v. Wade is overturned.
In South Dakota, pro-life Republican state Sen. Lee Schoenbeck told the Associated Press the state's low ranking was a "badge of honor."
"I'd have been disappointed if we'd finished any higher than last," he said.
Leila Hessini, a policy adviser with Ipas, told AP, "In this country, freedom depends on where we live." She claimed South Dakota's recently passed state abortion ban, "has more in common with Afghanistan than Oregon."