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In this moment, the future of our rights, our bodily autonomy, our freedom feels uncertain. What we do next will make a difference for decades to come.
Destigmatizing Abortion: Sorry, There’s No Abortion Restriction That Deserves Your Support!
Hey there! If you care about abortion access—and we hope you do—you probably don’t want to use stigmatizing language when you’re talking about abortion. But a lot of us can make this mistake in our advocacy journey.
Today, let’s talk about why there is NO way to support abortion access AND abortion restrictions at the same time. Yeah, you heard me right!
After decades of abortion restrictions enacted across the states—from bans after 15 weeks, to 24-hour waiting periods, to parental involvement laws, to all-out bans with exceptions only for life endangerment or rape—our generation has seen a lot of anti-abortion propaganda in action. It’s hard to not let that impact your beliefs about abortion!
And maybe you or your family members don’t think any of these restrictions are that big of a deal, because at least abortion is still available in some cases—like when you find out you’re pregnant early enough, or if that pregnancy is the result of trauma.
But here’s the thing: We don’t want only some abortions to be accessible. Believing in abortion access and fighting for abortion liberation means we want all abortions, in all situations, to be accessible to anyone who needs it—without barriers of any kind.
Also, let’s get real for a second: Restrictions like these are not informed by medical professionals. They are entirely political, with the goals of stopping abortions, increasing stigma, and sneakily recruiting more anti-abortion advocates into their movement… even if you consider yourself “pro-choice.”
We can resist this anti-abortion BS by rooting our pro-abortion activism in trust.
- Trust in pregnant people to make the decision that’s best for them.
- Trust in abortion providers, who work day in, day out to give us control over our own destinies.
- Trust in the scientists, providers, organizers, advocates, and patients who came before us, putting their lives and careers on the line to create the safe abortion care experiences patients get to have today.
So as you talk with your community about why you fight for abortion access, make sure to honor those experiences by being full-throated about your support for abortion care—on demand, and without apology.
