By Jess Raymond
Walking around town, I noticed posters for Bethany Hamilton at the Granada Theatre on Thursday night. I saw them outside surf shops and other local businesses, and as the parent of a young surfer, it seemed like the perfect inspiring night out. For reference, Hamilton is an American professional surfer who survived a shark attack in which her left arm was bitten off in 2003.
The event was billed as “motivational,” highlighting an “epic role model” and her persistence through adversity. Who wouldn’t want their child to hear that? That was not the focus of the night.
I left feeling surprised, angry, triggered, disappointed, and frankly, tricked. Much of the evening I stood in the lobby because I didn’t want to keep hearing anti-choice rhetoric.
I did not want people preaching on healthcare topics they have no right—or the training—to speak on with authority. I did not want my child hearing a man talk about “how many babies were saved” while asking the audience to donate to “support women’s healthcare.”
For me, religion has been a source of pain. It once led me to believe things about life, people, freedom, love, and science that I now see very differently. Events like this can be deeply triggering for many in our community. I recognize I should have researched more—that’s on me. But I also hope the Granada reconsiders hosting events framed as broadly “motivational” that turn into advocacy on highly sensitive healthcare issues. I wouldn’t be surprised if some patrons are hesitant to return unless this is addressed.
Abortion is healthcare.
I also want to raise serious concerns about the event’s host, Network Medical, which presents itself as a “women’s health clinic” in Goleta offering free pregnancy tests and ultrasounds. Based on conversations I’ve had with people who booked appointments there without realizing its focus, they encountered a strong anti-abortion agenda and felt shamed by “medical professionals” into continuing pregnancies.
The organization’s website lists a California medical license, but when I searched the state’s database, I couldn’t find a corresponding record. I’ve also seen what appear to be aggressive online responses to negative feedback. In my view, the website goes out of its way to imply support for choice, but patient experiences I’ve heard about suggest otherwise. Their sponsorship of this event—and on-stage boasts about “how many babies they saved”—make their agenda clear.
To be clear, these are my observations and opinions based on my experience at the theater and conversations with others. I encourage readers to do their own research, verify licenses, and read patient reviews before seeking services anywhere that presents itself as medical care.
In a recent interview, Network Medical’s executive director stated their mission is to “provide free, judgment-free healthcare, through licensed medical professionals that empower women to take control of their reproductive health with dignity and respect.” It’s not judgement free if you’re boasting about how many babies you “saved” and discouraging women from abortion. Even in this so-called interview, the director avoided the topic of faith/religion that was displayed prominently at the event. The promotion of this event with local media that conducted an interview without referencing these facts is misleading and damaging. Do better.
Shame on the Granada for not doing better due diligence on a controversial sponsor for a family-marketed event, and shame on any organization that presents itself as a legitimate medical clinic while advancing an agenda that can harm or mislead vulnerable young women.
It’s important to note that after the event I learned that Hamilton is an outspoken critic of abortion. She was the keynote speaker of the March for Life, an annual pro-life rally and march in Washington, D.C., in 2025.
To anyone else who felt blindsided or hurt by what happened at the Granada, I’m sorry. Sending healing thoughts to our community—and a reminder to all of us to ask hard questions before we bring our kids to something billed as “motivational.”
Op-Ed’s are written by community members, not representatives of edhat. The views and opinions expressed in Op-Ed articles are those of the author’s.
[Do you have an opinion on something local? Share it with us at info@edhat.com.]
Also Read
- Op-Ed: Protecting Taxpayers Means Looking Beyond the Politics of Short-Term Rentals
- District Attorney John T. Savrnoch Calls on Legislature to Fix Mental Health Diversion Law Through Assembly Bill 46
- Op-Ed: War Abroad, Higher Bills at Home
- Op-Ed: Santa Barbara’s Rent Freeze – Politics First, Housing Second
- Response to Sheriff Bill Brown’s Op-Ed: Deportation Is Not a Public Safety Plan
at first glance, i was annoyed at your post…until i read it in full. I totally back you up on this, 100% not cool at all, and even for the granada to book this, diving into politics and personal choices and womens health is not something anyone would go to the granada for, especially if they were thinking it would be Ms Hamilton speaking and sharing inspirational stories and events. Lame….
Appalling. Thank you for bringing attention to this subject. I hope you contacted Santa Barbara Center for the Performing Arts and got a refund back on your tickets. Motivational speaing certainly never needs to include anti-abortion rhetoric. Good for you on outting Network Medical, too.
*speaking
Network Medical is a complete scam. I’m surprised Noozhawk ran a glowing interview about them and their event without a modicum of research. Tons of scathing reviews online. They are a pro-life religious organization masquerading as a women’s health clinic. They post a medical license number on their website and I can’t find it anywhere in the state database. Pretty sure that’s illegal to do. Their providers may or may not have a medical license, but none of them are listed on their website so they might be random people in scrubs for all we know. All the photos on their site are stock images.
Update – a quick internet search of their nonprofit states the name of their organization is “Life Network Inc.” Public 990 filings show this under their Networks Medical name. The summary on their 990 form states they promote abstinence until marriage… none of this is on their website. The nonprofit is categorized as R62: Right to Life and 813319: Social Advocacy Organizations. NOT a medical clinic. Jaelynne Lay is their executive director. William Beckers in the President, Tim Eaton in the VP, and Mia McElwee is the Secretary. With $2M on their 2024 finance form, makes me wonder what they’re doing with this money. Total and complete scam.
EDHAT – can you investigate them please???
Those far-right wingers are sneaky and always try and secretly slip the drug in your drink. Over the holidays, I saw a far-right doomsday Trump (buy my book) tent preacher who was advertising “Christmas Carols” at the Lobero on a Sunday night in December. I recognized the name because the guy is a whacko who has had tent “revivals” at Earl Warren and does these tent events across the state – I had looked up who he was when he was bringing his cult gypsy train to Earl Warren. I don’t think they ever sold enough tickets to make the show at the Lobero a go – it was just bothersome to know they were trying to lure people in with simply Christmas carols… I will ignore this woman now when I see her story on Discovery. I always thought she was inspiring. But now I have learned she is a sick-0 and now feel sorry for the shark getting bad publicity.
Thank you Jess. What a bummer.
I hope the Granada Theater will have some kind of public response.
Abortion is unquestionably vitally important healthcare, and the Heritage Foundation can go kick rocks.
These people have no scruples. They think that they can lie all they want because they’re doing “God’s work”–so much for those commandments they want to put in every schoolroom.
Thank you for posting this op-ed. I had some friends ask why I wasn’t going since I go to almost every surf event in town (we’re a surfing family). I didn’t want to discourage them but I thought they should be aware of the religious aspect of the movie itself and that for me, it wasn’t something I wanted to be subjected to. Some people might find the movie inspiring, or even her heroic journey to keep surfing motivational. But when the public is mislead about an event, as is noted in this article, that is manipulative and leads to mistrust.
Thanks again for taking the time to write this and for Edhat for publishing it.
So basically you disagree with her views on one of the most controversial topics in our country. Hey, welcome to the world of differing viewpoints and freedom of speech. Your liberal S.B. bubble got popped on a night out. Ok. I get it was unsettling to you. Welcome to the real world. Stomp your feet all ya want.
That’s what you do.
Is there anything you don’t cry about?
I was at this presentation with a friend. We were suspicious when we got the envelopes with the vague medical brochure. The moment the “master of ceremonies” began to preach about the bible, my friend elbowed me in the ribs. Our signal to depart. A moment later we were sliding across our aisle and on our way out. I was angry that we were conned out of even $26 to be used by this anti free choice group of scammers. Shame on the Granada for allow this.
The Op-Ed author is obviously the one crying. She can’t do her homework or recognize the viewpoints of others on this topic, and then says “shame on the Granada”? That’s pretty rich, and close-minded. Not everyone feels the way she does on this topic. She assumed Bethany felt just like she does on these topics, and got woken up.
No, she expected rationality and got ignorant proselytizing.
And, again….. here you are crying about it. Taking time out of your day to come here and start sobbing about something that doesn’t affect you at all.
BI just dropped the smarmiest conservative beta-male comment in recent memory.
Maybe you can understand it this way. A restaurant advertises that they have great hamburgers. You go there for a hamburger. They give you a plate of chicken. Got it? Or are you just gonna cry more.