our conversations around abortion should be centered around how to make this procedure accessible and affordable to everyone
you can’t possibly believe you don’t know a woman that has had an abortion. and surely you don’t believe you don’t know a man that hasn’t benefited from one.
here i am. 23 years old, battling severe anxiety, with a ball of cells growing inside me unknowingly. i learned what was going down at week 7 (i repeat, week 7) , and made the simple decision to remove those cells from my body. there was, and always will be, no one more qualified to make a decision about my life other than me.
let’s be clear. this is not a pro-life movement. how can it be? the conservative right cares so very little about life. they don’t care that thousands of people die every year because they don’t have access to affordable healthcare. they say nothing when black and brown kids are murdered by police. there is no outcry when US bombs are dropped on civilians overseas. radio silence when children at the border are locked in cages. and in the wake of mass school shootings? thoughts and prayers.
these bans are nothing more than a disgusting attempt to maintain patriarchal control. and who will be most affected ? minorities and the poor. i paid for my abortion OUT OF POCKET. one thousand dollars. and if i lived in ohio under the new law? i would have purchased a flight to the nearest state. hell, i would have gone to the nearest country if i had to. that is privilege at its finest. it destroys me to think of the women left with no other option.
our conversations around abortion should be centered around how to make this procedure accessible and affordable to everyone, regardless of socioeconomic status. how to remove the shame and stigma that so wrongfully permeates that word. THAT is the work that needs to be done. the only shameful act as it relates to abortion is the belief in control over someone else’s body.
i am conflicted on #youknowme. talking openly about abortion is so necessary to eliminate the taboo. on the flip side, women don’t owe you the private details of their medical procedures, or the rationale behind their decision, for you to take this seriously. my abortion was the easiest decision i ever made. it’s not that way for everyone. please navigate these conversations amongst one another with compassion and empathy. and with lawmakers? with a fury from hell.
on a personal note (lol this was all personal): please reach out to me if you need someone to talk to about this. i’m here for you. i love you.
