Shout Your Abortion is normalizing abortion and elevating safe paths to access, regardless of legality.
SYA makes resources, campaigns, and media intended to arm existing activists, create new ones, and foster collective participation in abortion access all over the country.
In 2015, the hashtag #ShoutYourAbortion inspired a viral outpouring of abortion stories on social media, receiving front-page coverage from The New York Times, LA Times, and major media the world over. A grassroots movement quickly took shape, and a non-profit was established by SYA’s Cofounder and Executive Director Amelia Bonow in 2016. In the years following, SYA has consistently affected transformational cultural change through a wide range of campaigns, materials, actions, and creative projects.
SYA’S APPROACH TO ABORTION ACCESS POST DOBBS
The Supreme Court has eliminated federal protections for abortion rights, and abortion bans have passed in roughly half of the United States. But abortion access was never guaranteed by the courts, and it cannot be broadly eliminated by legal decisions either. We’re doing it anyway.
SYA envisions a world where abortion is free, de-stigmatized, and accessible in every community across the country. In order to get there, a critical mass of people must begin actively working to support and facilitate abortion access. Together, we can build a future where abortion is normalized and participation in abortion access is commonplace, with networks of people helping one another have abortions, in every corner of the US.
Together, we can dramatically reduce the harm done by anti-choice legislation, but writing checks and casting votes isn’t going to cut it. We must build a collective that is committed to aiding and abetting abortion—in the form of elevating resources, funding abortions, sharing information about pills, and saving independent clinics. We also need to continue telling our stories, normalizing abortion, and eradicating stigma, which has been key to the anti-choice movement’s success.
SYA wants to help you find thoughtful, impactful ways to normalize abortion and support access, whether that means plugging into existing organizations or building something new. Sign up for our mailing list to learn more.
Past Actions
Over the last decade we have launched local and international campaigns from interstate billboards, murals, vending machines, lemonade stands, to guerrilla videos.
FAQs
Yes! SYA is a non-profit project (meaning we can accept tax‑deductible donations) as well as an LLC. We fund our programming with grants, individual donations, crowdfunding campaigns, and income from our online shop. SYA’s budget allows us to maintain a small but mighty staff, and to create campaigns, materials, and resources to support activists all over the country.
SYA has no official headquarters. Although our programming is focused in the US, we are deeply connected to movements all over the world and we support universal access to abortion without shame for everyone in the universe.
SYA has produced countless events all over the country, and most of the time protesters are not an issue. However, we recommend that you prepare for the possibility by checking in with event hosts and volunteers, and discussing what your system of responses will be if protesters show up. For example, your group might decide that a couple of people holding anti‑choice signs outside of the venue doesn’t merit any response, but that if one of them tries to come inside, you will deny them entry. Event organizers should get on the same page about whether or not you will verbally engage with protesters, and discuss your philosophy with respect to physical confrontation. You should talk through what you’ll plan to do if protesters begin making you uncomfortable, and make sure your group is on the same page about whether or not you are comfortable involving law enforcement, campus security, etc. If you’d like a dedicated security person but aren’t comfortable with police, we recommend asking a friendly local bar or club if anyone on their security staff might be willing to support your event. Ultimately, we believe that organizers making sure these things are considered and discussed in advance is the best single thing we can do to stay safe. An organization called Right To Be provides a range of free trainings for activists and other people who are interested in learning to better respond to, intervene in, and heal from harassment.
When people harass us online, we delete their comments and block them immediately. For more information about digital security, check out Digital Defense Fund, which is dedicated to helping abortion advocacy orgs protect themselves digitally, or HACK*BLOSSOM, a feminist cybersecurity organization.
Possibly! Contact us with a little more information about the potential use and we’ll be in touch.
Please do! SYA messaging belongs to everyone and it’s meant to be widely proliferated.
Maybe! Email us to tell us more about what you have in mind.
SYA staff have fairly limited availability for speaking appearances, but you’re welcome to contact us and inquire. We also might be able to help you find someone in your area who would be a good fit.
Often! Please contact us if you have an upcoming fundraiser, raffle, event, etc., and briefly let us know what the funds are for, when the event is, what kinds of donations you’re interested in, and in what quantities. We’ll get back to you ASAP and let you know if we can contribute.
Yes! As a nonprofit project, we can accept tax‑deductible donations, which allow us to pay our staff and operating costs and support all sorts of campaigns, projects, and events. You can donate here. Thank you!
Shout Your Abortion has been covered by media outlets the world over.
