Planned Parenthood in Tyler, Texas closed on July 17. On October 12, the pro-life community of East Texas celebrated. The Tyler facility opened in 2012 as part of the Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas affiliate.

The Planned Parenthood facility in Tyler did not perform abortions. However, as the only Planned Parenthood in the vast area of East Texas, it played a valuable role in PPGT’s abortion game plan.

The celebration was sponsored by Tyler’s 40 Days for Life, which has been led by Lars Gustafson for the past two years. Lars made a commitment to continue 40 Days for Life in Tyler in 2026, to the cheers of nearly 200 attending.

The president of the University of Texas at Tyler chapter of Students for Life of America, Kaylie Sevier, spoke on the challenge of campus pro-life leadership. When she took over the chapter, she was the only student in the club. She was creative and revived the group to over 20 students. They deliver a variety of events to keep life issues visible on campus.

I was honored to be the keynote speaker, charged with encouraging the pro-life faithful to become stronger, and avoid any letdown. I pointed to the need for stronger “upstream” initiatives to address the root causes of abortion. Secondly, we must have greater public square outreach that engages the undecided and the unaware of the mushy middle of our communities.

An obvious upstream priority is the recovery of chastity and a strong family life. Turning the tide against the sexual revolution will require much more from individuals, families, churches, and pro-life groups. Instead of surging with the fall of Roe, chastity and family life have remained on the back burner. The movement should never back off in meeting the downstream needs of pregnant women. However, ultimately, we want the demand for pregnancy care services to decline dramatically. At the organization level, the Ruth Institute, led by Jennifer Roback Morse, has been a guiding light for chastity and family life.

Pro-life losses in the vast majority of post-Dobbs statewide ballot measures reveal an urgent need to improve our standing with the broad midrange of our communities. We must go beyond communicating to ourselves, and focus on our staunch opponents. This can include boots on the ground, such as Life Chain, overpass outreach, and pharmacy protests. Signs displayed across East Texas and America can expand further. Billboards are powerful. Yard signs at homes and churches may be even more effective—easily deployed by an “army of one.”

I lead a new national organization named Pro-Life in the Public Square. We have a national initiative called Yard Signs for Life. We distribute excellent yard signs, stressing the importance of family, with images that feature mom, baby, and dad. We brought dozens of our yard signs to Tyler for the celebration. As a result, over 70 yard signs will dot the East Texas landscape, sending a pro-life message to thousands each day.

Learn how to start a Yard Signs for Life campaign in your hometown.

John Pisciotta, PhD, is the founding Executive Director of Pro-Life in the Public Square.