Mark Lee Dickson, a pastor and the head of Right to Life of East Texas, has quickly made a name for himself in the anti-abortion space. According to The Washington Post, he has not only self-identified as a “36-year-old virgin” but traveled to 400 Texas cities in 2019, encouraging towns to declare themselves as “sanctuary cities for the unborn” and pass ordinances outlawing abortion—despite it still being legal under both state and federal law at the time.
According to HuffPost, Dickson was successful and helped aid the passage of nearly 50 city ordinances. Many believe Dickson’s legislative strategy for banning abortions at the city level helped pave the way for Texas’ six-week abortion ban, dubbed the “Heartbeat Bill.”