Rebecca Kiessling
An attorney and activist who frames the anti-abortion argument through her personal story as a child conceived by rape.
Born 1969 (age 57)·Anti-abortion activist and attorney·Birthday: July 22·Generation X
Biography
Rebecca Kiessling's advocacy is inextricably linked to her origin story. She publicly shares that she was conceived after a violent rape, and that her birth mother twice sought but could not obtain a legal abortion in the late 1960s. This personal history forms the bedrock of her work as a speaker, attorney, and activist. Kiessling argues against abortion exceptions for cases of rape or incest, contending that the value of a life is not determined by the circumstances of conception. She founded the organization Save The 1 and speaks frequently at rallies, legislative hearings, and on college campuses, presenting herself as living proof that children born from rape are worthy of protection. Her voice adds a specific, emotionally charged dimension to the national debate, challenging listeners to reconsider the boundaries of the 'exceptions' often discussed in abortion politics.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Rebecca was born in 1969, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Rebecca Was Born
The biggest hits of 1969
#1 Movie
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Best Picture
Midnight Cowboy
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Rebecca's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1969Born
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1974Started school
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1982Became a teenager
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Could drive
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1987Could vote
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1990Turned 21
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1999Turned 30
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 40
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 50
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 57 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Founded the anti-abortion organization Save The 1, which advocates against exceptions for rape and incest.
- Has testified before multiple state legislatures regarding abortion legislation and proposed rape exceptions.
- Built a public speaking career centered on sharing her personal story to advocate for the protection of all unborn life.
Did You Know?
She is a practicing family law attorney in Michigan.
Kiessling was adopted and did not learn the circumstances of her conception until she was an adult.
She is a mother of five children.
“I am not the exception to the rule. I am the rule.”
