Voice for Choice

Gil Schroerlucke:
Memories
Gilbert Leroy Schroerlucke (1923-2021), who died
January 4, 2021, was born in Kentucky, served in World
War II, and entered the Methodist ministry. He served
several churches, including Louisville’s West Broadway
Methodist Church, where he created a community
center for the neighborhood’s predominantly African
American population. He worked with the African
American community for school integration, fair housing
laws, and many other causes.

When he retired from the ministry in the 1980s, he

became an advocate of reproductive rights and a
leading member of KRCRC.

Gil Schroerlucke touched many lives, including those of

co-workers for reproductive choice. Here, five colleagues
remember and appreciate him.
Gil Schroerlucke

by Kate Cunningham
Kate Cunningham is the President of A Fund, Inc., an
organization that helps to fund abortions for needy women.

Gil sometimes provided last, I thought, we have an issue that a male legislator
transportation for patients might understand: contraceptive failure (and the need for
needing to get to an abortion emergency contraception thereafter). I had the temerity
clinic. One time he needed to say to the chain- smoking legislator, “Perhaps, Senator,
to transport a Latina from you yourself have experienced contraceptive failure?” The
Kate Cunningham Americana Apartments to the man could not look at me but locked onto Gil and said,
abortion clinic in Cincinnati. He “Reverend, what are YOU doing here with This Woman?!”
needed a female escort for her, for the long ride, and I was (For shame!)
able to go. We drove 100 miles to the clinic, observed the
clinic security there (I was very impressed with the pleasant,
effective security guard) and waited for her to be seen. After
the abortion, we returned her to her
apartment and family, who were none the wiser about where
Life neither begins, nor ends.
Mom had been. We walked upstairs with her and made sure Life continues. Life does not
she was going to be OK before we left. begin with conception.
The egg is living, the sperm is
During many legislative sessions, Gil drove once a week to
Frankfort, with others or alone. He and I would register to living, before conception.
meet with legislators and discuss the latest anti-abortion bills
pending. One time, I’ll never forget, we were supporting
a bill allowing emergency contraception to be sold over
Cont. on next page
the counter. Gil and I walked into a legislator’s office. At
Cunningham Cont. from previous page
On one of our road trips to Frankfort, I asked Gil, a
United Methodist Minister and long-time pastor of West
Broadway United Methodist Church, who upon retirement
also attended Central Presbyterian Church, what the
difference is between Methodists and Presbyterians? He
thought a minute and said, “the difference is ‘debts’ or
‘trespasses.’
Gil was a World War II veteran who was in the Battle of
the Bulge, about six months after D-Day. After I learned
this, I would think of him and maybe send him a note on
anniversaries of D-Day. I am still overwhelmed when I
think of all the good Gil has done in his lifetime, along
with his partner Bettye and their large family, and think
what a loss it would have been if he had been killed in
1944-45.
Gil was a beautiful, caring man. He was adamant in his
advocacy for reproductive rights. When people would
want to pass a law to “protect life from the moment of
by Meg Sasse Stern
Meg Sasse Stern is the Support Fund
Director of the Kentucky Health Justice
Network, which provides support of
many kinds for reproductive autonomy.
Meg Sasse Stern
When I became a volunteer clinic escort at EMW in 1999, I
had no idea who Gil was, what he had done, or how much I
could learn from him.
For me, Gil’s most memorable escorting tactic was to carry
a hand-held cassette tape player, which he would use to
muffle the vile words being weaponized against the patients
and their companions during the walk from First Street
almost to the corner of Second Street. To my knowledge
there was only one cassette that he used. There were two
songs on rotation 1) a big band playing “When the Saints
Go Marching In” and 2) an instrumental version of “The
Hills Are Alive (With the Sound of Music)”. I remember at
least two tape players being knocked from his hand by angry
protesters, but Gil never chose escalation.
I still use what was possibly the most valuable lesson Gil
taught me in my volunteer and professional roles every day:
when we accompany people who are enduring punishment
conception,” Gil would say, “Life neither begins, nor ends.
Life continues. Life does not begin with conception. The
egg is living, the sperm is living, before conception. Are
we to bless the egg that is shed every month by a woman
who is not pregnant? What about fertilized eggs that
are naturally flushed from the body without anyone even
knowing that the egg was fertilized? What about the many
very early miscarriages when women do not even know
they were pregnant?”
One time I asked a state legislator who was a physician
about his anti-abortion efforts, with this same line of
questions. He looked at me and said, “You know I can’t
admit that”(that fertilized eggs are often naturally flushed
from a body before implantation). Science has not
mattered in the Kentucky legislature for quite a long time.
I was honored to be awarded the Rev. Gil Schroerlucke
Reproductive Justice Award in 2015 by KRCRC.
I still use what was possibly
the most valuable lesson Gil taught me
in my volunteer and professional roles every
day: when we accompany people who are
enduring punishment and hardships that they
should never have to face, the best way to
support them is to center our attention on the
individual whom we are supporting, and to
hold space in solidarity and as
comfort to that person.
and hardships that they should never have to face, the
best way to support them is to center our attention on the
individual whom we are supporting, and to hold space
in solidarity and as comfort to that person. When we
instead choose to get angry, debate, even acknowledge the
perpetrators of harm, we are giving them what they want,
not supporting the person we are there with.
Supporting people who are exercising their right to bodily
autonomy is what clinic escorts and abortion fund case
managers do. Remembering that basic concept during
chaotic moments is the best way I know to serve an
individual, and our communities. I am so grateful to Gil for
teaching me this practice, possibly without knowing it or
meaning to.
 by Elwood Stuartevant
Instead of second-guessing The Reverend Elwood Sturtevant was
another person’s decision, we are the pastor of Thomas Jefferson (now All
called to do our best to help make a People’s) Unitarian Church (retired).
world where things go wrong less. He is now a member of the KRCRC
That is, we are called to respond with Board of Directors.
love and understanding, following
the example of a loving God.

My first meeting with the Rev. Gil Schroerlucke was at a Religious
Leaders for Fairness meeting. We were a group of mostly clergy
who came together to ally with the Fairness Campaign for
LGBTQ+ rights about 25 years ago. Gil introduced himself as
a retired minister, but I soon came to know him as a courageous
activist for social justice in a variety of areas. At that time, it was
with KRCRC. As he told me about his involvement, he then
offered to come to the Unitarian Universalist congregation I was
serving to preach about abortion. While I’m not certain what title
we used for his presentation, I’ll never forget his attention-getting
claim that God must be the biggest abortionist of all.
Now, knowing that Gil’s faith was that “every time we experience
love, we experience God,” the claim that God was an abortionist
was shocking. But as I recall it, the gist of Gil’s sermon was this:
(Note – I apologize for my inevitable errors in this recollection; all
preachers know that the sermon that is heard is always different
from the one that was preached. Also, I have used more recent
statistics than Gil would have had decades ago to make his point
now.)
There are those who insist that God makes everything happen, and who also
insist that abortion must always be against the will of God. But look at
reality. In 2017, the Guttmacher Institute reports “approximately 18% of
U.S. pregnancies (excluding spontaneous miscarriages) ended in abortion.” But
consider the scope of that exclusion of spontaneous miscarriages. These days,
Elwood Stuartevant
the March of Dimes says that “as many as half of all pregnancies may end in
miscarriage.”
It is generally understood that about 15 to 20 percent of recognized pregnancies
end in a miscarriage, but that more miscarriages occur before a pregnancy is
recognized. And so, if God is responsible for everything, then God must be
responsible for terminating an astounding number of pregnancies – up to half
of them.
As I recall it, Gil went on to explain it was not his place to judge
God for ending pregnancies, that he didn’t know enough to
second-guess God. He did understand that miscarriages apparently
occurred when something had gone wrong with the pregnancy.
And he understood that abortions were often chosen when
something had gone wrong, too. Instead of second-guessing
another person’s decision, we are called to do our best to help
make a world where things go wrong less. That is, we are called to
respond with love and understanding, following the example of a
loving God.
Gil was that rare combination of gentle but courageous, wise but
understandable, and firm in his conviction that the response to
God’s love must be our effort to build the beloved community with
justice for all. I am glad I got the chance to know him and to hear
him preach.

by Virginia Copenhefer
Virginia Copenhefer is a former Chair and Board Member of KRCRC. She awarded KRCRC’s Dr. David Gunn
Award to Gilbert Schroerlucke in 2005.

The time was, I think, 1989 and Kentucky Religious

Virginia Copenhefer
Coalition for Reproductive Choice (KRCRC) was holding
its board meetings at St. Paul United Methodist Church. It
There is simply
was my turn to moderate the coalition for the year and I nothing that this man has
was a very nervous Nellie. I arrived early for the meeting not done to keep the door
and was having trouble propping the door open to cool the
room. The elevator bell sounded, its door opened and out
to choice open for women
stepped a stranger who proceeded to solve the problem in Kentucky.
cleverly. I didn’t realize what a powerful metaphor that door
was. In a way that night’s helper has been working to keep
doors open for all of us ever since. Let’s review the record.

Those were the days of protests at Dr. Bancho’s (Dr. Banchogmanie’s) clinic and through rain, snow,
blockades, and all sorts of abuse, the “door person” appeared as a faithful escort once a month. I
understand this continues.
Cont. on next page
Copenhefer Cont. from previous page
When KRCRC wanted to revamp our clergy counseling
service, “the door person,” being well connected to a major
denomination, made many contacts to secure counselors. In
addition, this ordained clergy person was always available to take
phone calls from women needing immediate counseling. Several
times our honoree supplied transportation to clinics in other
cities when the situation was desperate.
I wish I could tell you how many times this person talked to the
press, represented the coalition on television, went toe to toe
with the antis in debates and traveled the road to Frankfort to
talk to recalcitrant legislators. The family car could make that trip
by itself. That car also took its driver to speaking engagements
at community colleges in eastern Kentucky, to meetings and
celebrations in western Kentucky, to pep rallies and recruiting
parties in northern Kentucky, and to meetings and rallies in
Washington DC.
In addition to taking a turn at chairing the coalition, this person
has been the editor of the newsletter and for a time turned
the family home into a workshop where the crew gathered to
prepare the newsletter for mailing.
The idea of a celebratory Roe v. Wade dinner came from that
person, as did the idea of the Dr. David Gunn award.
I think you get the message. There is simply nothing that this
man has not done to keep the door to choice open for women
in Kentucky. The Religious Coalition is grateful for years of
inspirational leadership and presents the Dr. David Gunn award
to the Reverend Gilbert Schroerlucke.

by Donna Morton
Donna Morton is a retired attorney and United Methodist There he [Gil]
minister. She was a founder of KRCRC (then RCAR) and spoke of the vital
later served on the Board. She was one of the attorneys for importance of social
the KY American Civil Liberties Union when the first post- justice to people of
Roe case was filed (and eventually won) in 1974. faith.

music for the guests. More recently, Gil and Bettye volunteered
at their church with the Open Door ministry, which serves
lunch five days per week to approximately 100 people from the
Donna Morton neighborhood and from The Healing Place. Again, Gil also
played the piano for the guests.
I first met Gil Schroerlucke when he spoke at a regional youth
conference when I was in high school in 1963. There he spoke Gil became involved in the reproductive rights movement in the
of the vital importance of social justice to people of faith. I next 1980’s primarily through the Religious Coalition for Abortion
encountered Gil when I was a senior in college, during the 1966 Rights (RCAR, later KRCRC). He served on the board, recruited
Open Housing movement (when I co-chaired U of L Students members and together with Louis Moseson built the display for
and Faculty for Open Housing). the state fair presence. Gil initiated the dinners that RCRC held
for several years and instituted the Dr. David Gunn award.
Gil was minister of a church in west Louisville that in a
period of two years had moved from being a predominantly
white church to being a multi-racial congregation. Gil’s
services were innovative, contemporary, and addressed
serious justice issues facing the community. Youth were
active participants in leadership. The church was bustling
daily with activities for children, youth, and adults.

Gil was one of a handful of white members of the

clergy who participated in the open housing rallies and
demonstrations, some of which were led by Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. I believe Gil and his older children were all
arrested during the movement.

Over the years, Gil participated in struggles for LGBTQ

rights. In the 1990’s, he and his wife, Bettye, were part of a
group that prepared and served dinner monthly for people
infected with HIV. He often provided after-dinner piano from left: Kim, Gil, Kathy, and Kelly Schroerlucke,
Chris Lopez, Kaye McSpadden