I suspect they will try to start by introducing a minimum age for sterilization, and then a minimum child count if the ‘domestic infant supply’ is still insufficient.
If initial efforts fail to increase ‘domestic supply of infants’, they might resort to more drastic measures like making sterilization only legal in government run clinics so they can pick and choose who is allowed and/or forced to be sterilized.
If they go fully Gilead, then they will require the consent of the husband and/or father before a white woman will be allowed to be sterilized.
I am grateful beyond measure that I was able to have my tube's tied when I was 27. A friend told me about the Doctor. It was done under local anesthesia in his office. I'd known for years I didn't want to bear any children (though hoped some would come into my orbit which has been a great blessing in my life that they have) and thankful I no longer had to worry about Birth Control failure or having another abortion.
I'm now 71 and have NEVER once wished I hadn't taken this step. And grateful for the brilliant young women I'm honored to call my chosen children/ honorary children and they call me their Aunt or Bonus Mom.
It’s just so ridiculous, not to mention patronising, that we’re not trusted to make decisions about our reproductive health.
I had to have an ovarian cyst removed last year. I joked with the surgeon doing the pre-op paperwork that if they “accidentally”removed my tubes while they were in there, I’d be ok with it.
She said they could definitely do it if it was straightforward and there was no scar tissue or anything to complicate it.
When I woke up, I was told the surgeon was go actually did the op refused to do it and noted on my chart that because it was permanent sterilisation, it needed to be discussed in the clinic with my gynie first. I was livid because
A, I knew it was permanent, that’s *why* I asked for it.
B, I was 46 years old, divorced with 2 kids, not seeing anyone and had been diagnosed with congestive heart failure 9 months earlier. Another kid was the last thing I wanted or needed in my life and with my heart, it could easily kill me and leave my 2 existing children without a mother.
C, it meant more surgery 8 months later, which was cancelled twice at the last minute. I had to arrange time off work, childcare and transportation to/from hospital 3 times for something that could have been done in 10 minutes the year before had the surgeon at the time trusted me to know what was best for me.
Given the history of sterilizing unconsenting "undesirables", I'm not sure they will outright ban sterilization. I think it's much more likely to be a soft ban of red tape, etc.
Yes, they will first use regulatory tactics such as increased minimum facility, training and staff privileges.
If initial efforts fail to increase ‘domestic supply of infants’, they might resort to more drastic measures like making sterilization only legal in government run clinics so they can pick and choose who is allowed and/or forced to be sterilized.
If they go fully Gilead, then they will require the consent of the husband and/or father before a white woman will be allowed to be sterilized.
Related to this, I’m wondering if it’s better to have an IUD than be on the pill in case they come after hormonal birth control? They can prevent you from getting pills, but they (hopefully) can’t force you to remove your IUD?
Here in Michigan, abortion protections are written into our constitution. Thanks, Big Gretch. But, I'm assuming that's overruled with a federal abortion ban? It feels silly to even ask.
AOC made a long, informative video (about a few things) that said if the GOP gets the House, they can—unfortunately—pass a federal law that supersedes state law.
It’s also worth noting that such a ban would trigger lots of lawsuits, many of which would not necessarily involve the Supreme Court. The lower courts were pretty key during the first admin about slowing, neutering, or blocking some of the most harmful policies.
I live in a state with a total ban. Is it worth trying to get abortion rights via referendum? Would it just be overturned with a federal ban? Are there groups who are going this route in the Deep South?
If GOP really controls both and house and senate, then no point, it would be better for to muster a coalition to try to take back both chambers in 2026 if free and fair elections are still a thing, knowing that will likely be the absolute last chance to wrestle back democracy.
I am sorry, but as a practicing Ob/Gyn and high risk abortion provider, stop getting pregnant if your health is jeopardized by pregnancy. Either you or your partner need to be sterilized because they will make contraception very difficult to obtain within the next few years. Some hospitals may allow abortions if the future national ban (there will be one) has health exceptions, but they will likely put restrictions on how many can be done each year (what they used to do in the old days) so that they stay under the radar. Your health risk may not qualify. I don't like to tell women not to get pregnant as I also provide high risk OB care, but we may not be able to do so in the future. That is reality now. I am sorry.
I watched a short documentary on pbs that showed how women who were enslaved were forced into "marriage " to procreate and have children to expand the enslavers labor force. Some women, while working in the cotton fields, discovered that eating a part of the plant served as a contraceptive . It was ingenious on their part and worth exploring since that's where we are headed.
Texas Christians for Reproductive Justice. We sent out a one-question survey on cell and embryonic personhood last month to legislators who voted for SB8 (the bounty hunter bill) and anti-abortion candidates.
I think they can't get everybody, and so they would focus on people who they perceive as a threat to their regime. Like they would definitely go after Jessica before they would go after the rest of us.
Sorry, but your post was so disturbing to me (about Jessica) that I couldn't 'like' it. But I think you are right. I fear they will single out the more public figures first, imprisoning them or worse. I just read Adam Kinzingers substack and it gave me some courage. But i can't stop the dark dystopian thoughts from arising. I know enough of Russian history to be very concerned for any writers or speakers who dare challenge the regime. That said, we just can't "obey in advance".
Yes. I've mentioned it more than once here just because I hope she's anticipating the danger. So far everything that everyone ever said couldn't happen, has been happening, and yes Russian history is a perfect comparison. That said, having read her memoir, I would never ever bet against her, but I just think everyone should be clear eyed about the path America is on so we can think about how to try to protect ourselves and more importantly each other.
I'd love a constitutional law expert to weigh in on whether or not it can be. I would think even our ultra-conservative Supreme Court couldn't get behind an ex post facto law, that's directly written in Article 1 of the Constitution, but if they found a way to create those "punishments" in a way where they were not considered to be ex post facto laws....
Recent events have shown that Republicans are in favor of law and order when it helps them, and against law and order when they want to do something else. Just as abortions are rebranded as "fetal separation" when they involve "good" people, then Congress will either find a way to justify ex post facto laws, or the Supreme Court will. Basically, the current state of the law is "Republicans get to make up any shit they want, and they have the guns to enforce it."
Yeah, I have no faith in them either. They reject ex post facto challenges all the time. People are worried that it will be "anyone who has ever had an abortion even in a blue state where it was legal is going to prison now" and that couldn't be upheld without throwing the whole damn constitution out the window, but I'd like to hear some experts explain what they could get away with, and what the broader implications of those decisions would be.
When I was in 8th grade, one April day our history teacher (who didn't normally collect homework) told us to pass our homework to the front of the room. When the excuses started flying, he blew up at us and said that it was unacceptable, and just to show us how seriously he meant it, anyone who had EVER not had homework ready that year was going to get a failing grade for the quarter. The room exploded with outrage and fear and confusion.
In the end, he stopped two who were about to go tell the principal, saying, "What you just witnessed is an example of ex post facto - applying a law retroactively, and Article 1 of our Constitution expressly forbids that." It was brilliant, and it seared that concept into my memory. So my guess is that the answer is No - it's way too hard to amend the constitution, and no court would permit it.
This Supreme Court is lawless. You may have noticed recently that they don’t even bother to explain their decisions, reminding me of parents who resort to saying “Because I say so”, when disciplining kids.
How do we support women in other states where abortion is being opposed or prohibited? How could I go about creating an abortion fund for those circumstances? What is the specific language we can use when debating people on abortion politics? (thank you!)
You don’t have to be Christian or religious to direct people to TexasChristians.org to find out how to address that issue from a Christian perspective. There is no question that the opposition to abortion is not Christian from a biblical standpoint.
Sorry I can't remember the correct name, but an organization called something like "Faithful America" advocates the idea that there are many kinds of Christian view on abortion, including some that include compassion for people in need.
I know of Faithful America, but not what they have written on it. The Catholic Church bases their opposition to abortion on Catholic tradition and a non-biblical concept called ‘ensoulment.’ Mainstream Protestants have various denominational positions on abortion, some fully embracing the right to access it. Some like Churches of Christ just say they oppose it based on “the Bible” and sometimes edit biblical references to make it fit. Evangelicals did not oppose abortion, and some even accepted fully the Jewish perspective of life beginning with breath (“nefesh”—life, life-breath, essential self) until the late 1970s due to political considerations, desegregation of religious schools, and succumbing to the lust for power. Jerry Falwell didn’t preach against abortion until 5 years after Roe was decided. Evangelicals backed into the Bible with largely irrelevant verses in Jeremiah, Isaiah, and one of the Psalms which ignored the Genesis 2:7 and Ezekiel 37 references to life beginning following the formation of the ‘vessel’ (body). While I respect anyone’s deeply held belief, I don’t respect when those beliefs are foisted on others.
To an extent, the phrase "pro-choice" was used to avoid using the word "abortion" but it does stress that even when a safe, legal abortion is available and affordable, a person who does not want an abortion doesn't have to have one. And the reason NOT to want an abortion could be secular or religious.
A lot of human history is about adherents of one religion fighting adherents of another religion. Even if you believe that religious faith is better than atheism or agnosticism, you have to understand that religion is the furthest thing from uniform. And not all religions are Western. Before the current crew got their hands on it, the Supreme Court interpreted the First Amendment to forbid any kind of established church or official religion--and in fact to put religion and non-religion on the same footing. In this reading, while there are a lot more Christians than Shintoists or Confucians or animists in the United States, that doesn't confer higher standing on Christian beliefs (much less a subset of Christian beliefs) than on those less common religions.
I’m certainly not implying that Christianity has a higher standard than other faith traditions. My concern is pragmatic as well as holding to my own deeply held belief—large swaths of the electorate in Texas are Christian and are taught that to be a Christian, because of abortion, have to vote Republican. The Christian faith is built on the concept of love of neighbor expressed as being merciful and just, not a set of beliefs to check off that are individualistic in nature instead of communal.
Are you in Texas, too? I definitely think that giving to organizations that fund travel is equally important. So many on the hotline I’m volunteering for are needing that support.
Lots of states that ban abortions still have thriving abortion funds that are linked in to local resources and the community! You can see the national network here: https://abortionfunds.org/
You know what scares the hell out of me? Nick Fuentes, Neo-Nazi "personality," posted this on Twitter:
"Your body, my choice."
A fear we have touched upon--men targeting the women they want to have a baby with, via rape-- can be realized in the blink of an eye since a national abortion ban will mean a rape victim will have to carry the fetus to term, as we all know.
Can we become this dystopian? I read today that sales of The Handmaid's Tale were soaring. I just check Amazon. It's #73 in sales overall, and #1 in Dystopian Science Fiction; #1 in Contemporary Literature & Fiction; #2 in Contemporary Literary Fiction.
It seems a number of women are really concerned this could become their reality. How do we address this potential threat?
My brother predicted violence against women, which is already epidemic, will increase to new heights, because all of these men have just been validated. It's numbingly heartbreaking and I wish I had an answer.
Hard agree. As a survivor, what keeps going through my head for the last several weeks is the look on the perpetrator's face as it was happening. That look has been enough to tell me that the line between a country where women are people and where women are seen as less than human is very, very, very thin. I pray that men will start to create a culture where they call each other out and make it unacceptable, but I don't have a lot of hope.
There has to be a backlash to this, to what just happened and is going to happen, but I don't know if it will be enough. I'm sorry your trauma is resurfacing acutely now 💔
I’m longing for some kind of guidance around all the bases we may have to cover if we are no longer full legal humans under the law. Abortion and contraceptives, but also what happens if we slide back to not being able to own property, have our own bank accounts, etc? How do we protect ourselves and each other?
I really appreciate your doing this, but buying from Amazon means paying inflated prices and supporting a union-busting company that is destroying local economies. As noted above, there are many independent local abortion funds. Two I can think of off the top of my head are Yellowhammer Fund and Tennessee Freedom Circle. If you go to the site for a fund, there is a very strong chance they will have a wish list. Or, of course, you can give them as much as you can afford and they'll just buy what they need. BTW abortion funds often provide things like menstrual products and baby diapers for whatever reproductive health needs their clients have.
I hear you. I divested from Amazon years ago. I decided to go back on the site this week because I wanted to send physical items that the organizations have specifically requested. I also had some amazon gift cards that I used up.
Of course, donating money directly is nearly always the best way to impact an organization. I wish that abortion clinics had donation lists directly on their website, but that's not widely practiced. Unfortunately, this is the system we have right now and that many funds have opted into. I hope that changes soon. It would be awesome if there was an alternative.
Everyone should support in whatever way they feel comfortable -- the most important thing is that we are supporting people who make reproductive health care possible.
Thank you for this work. Someone I shared the site with, however, expressed concern that Amazon-connected info could fall into the wrong hands. Maybe it's better that we go to the sites of individual providers and organizations and see their wishlists there, or simply donate to them, as Dana Shilling suggests in this thread? Thank you again.
You're very welcome. I think everyone should do whatever is best for them and their level of risk, and of course, donating to organizations directly is always the best policy.
I may need a hysterectomy in the near future due to stage 3-4 endometriosis. Will procedures like that be endangered by a ban? (I really have no idea anymore if that’s a silly question or something I need to be legit worried about)
Even if you can get one, I want to amplify my question re our access to HRT after surgery (which you will need to avoid going into immediate menopause and also for your bone health, vitality etc)
What can we do now to support a more dramatic version of reality down the road where the only care is a secret network of women assisting each other in person. Like do we all literally need to be ready to go Vera Drake and be trained in home abortions? Or what can we do now to create a physical Jane-style network for when the proper channels get shut down entirely? This sounds crazy as I type it but I can't stop thinking about it.
Do you see any particular opportunities for coalition between this movement and other groups that have been threatened (i.e., lgbtqia advocacy groups, disability advocacy groups, BIPOC groups, etc.) and how can we best support each other given our diverse (but perhaps dove-tailed?) priorities in the coming times?
I also want to ask what should we do if, for example, our local abortion fund leader decided to actively campaign for Jill Stein against Kamala Harris, who was our best hope at preventing a national ban. I'm seeing a lot of distrust and resentment.
Christ Geidner at Law Dork has great discussions of LGBTQA issues. Pregnancy Justice is a BIPOC-focused group covering reproductive justice. By and large, groups identified as reproductive justice groups are likely to take an intersectional view.
I want to help my friends be as prepared as possible for what's coming. I want to tell them to have Plan B, condoms, extra birth control, and abortion pills in their homes (for them or for their loved ones). But that's a super scary conversation to have. Can you tell me what to say? And what else do we need to have in posession? Or do we risk making supplies scarce for other people?
PAPER calendars to monitor menstrual cycles, so if appropriate they can show that gestation is not longer than the state limit (or, of course, can vanish with no electronic traces if required). Nobody should use fertility tracking apps because the data is easy to weaponize.
Really good question about making supplies scarce, but I think the idea of COVID "pods" will be extended, so that if one person has supplies that aren't needed, they can be transferred to someone else who does need them.
Under current circumstances it's probably better for a person ordering mifi/miso to order a double course in case a repeat dosage is needed to complete an abortion. (I was surprised but also kind of scared by a webinar where someone said "My self-managed abortion didn't proceed on schedule so I just repeated the dose and it was fine.") Unneeded extra medication can then be shared within the pod or given back to a local organization.
If they try to ban contraceptives, how quickly could that happen? Would it also ban the hormones in birth control that are used by trans women, women who are in menopause, and women who have had their ovaries removed?
How quickly are they going to come for birth control? Will it differ by type?
How quickly will they look to make sterilization illegal?
I suspect they will try to start by introducing a minimum age for sterilization, and then a minimum child count if the ‘domestic infant supply’ is still insufficient.
If initial efforts fail to increase ‘domestic supply of infants’, they might resort to more drastic measures like making sterilization only legal in government run clinics so they can pick and choose who is allowed and/or forced to be sterilized.
If they go fully Gilead, then they will require the consent of the husband and/or father before a white woman will be allowed to be sterilized.
A husband’s “permission” is already required for a married woman who wants to be sterilised, whether she has children or not.
For single women, it’s almost impossible to find a doctor willing to take her on as a patient because “what if you meet someone who wants kids?”.
Even the wants and needs of a hypothetical man take precedence over those of women.
I am grateful beyond measure that I was able to have my tube's tied when I was 27. A friend told me about the Doctor. It was done under local anesthesia in his office. I'd known for years I didn't want to bear any children (though hoped some would come into my orbit which has been a great blessing in my life that they have) and thankful I no longer had to worry about Birth Control failure or having another abortion.
I'm now 71 and have NEVER once wished I hadn't taken this step. And grateful for the brilliant young women I'm honored to call my chosen children/ honorary children and they call me their Aunt or Bonus Mom.
It’s just so ridiculous, not to mention patronising, that we’re not trusted to make decisions about our reproductive health.
I had to have an ovarian cyst removed last year. I joked with the surgeon doing the pre-op paperwork that if they “accidentally”removed my tubes while they were in there, I’d be ok with it.
She said they could definitely do it if it was straightforward and there was no scar tissue or anything to complicate it.
When I woke up, I was told the surgeon was go actually did the op refused to do it and noted on my chart that because it was permanent sterilisation, it needed to be discussed in the clinic with my gynie first. I was livid because
A, I knew it was permanent, that’s *why* I asked for it.
B, I was 46 years old, divorced with 2 kids, not seeing anyone and had been diagnosed with congestive heart failure 9 months earlier. Another kid was the last thing I wanted or needed in my life and with my heart, it could easily kill me and leave my 2 existing children without a mother.
C, it meant more surgery 8 months later, which was cancelled twice at the last minute. I had to arrange time off work, childcare and transportation to/from hospital 3 times for something that could have been done in 10 minutes the year before had the surgeon at the time trusted me to know what was best for me.
Given the history of sterilizing unconsenting "undesirables", I'm not sure they will outright ban sterilization. I think it's much more likely to be a soft ban of red tape, etc.
Yes, they will first use regulatory tactics such as increased minimum facility, training and staff privileges.
If initial efforts fail to increase ‘domestic supply of infants’, they might resort to more drastic measures like making sterilization only legal in government run clinics so they can pick and choose who is allowed and/or forced to be sterilized.
If they go fully Gilead, then they will require the consent of the husband and/or father before a white woman will be allowed to be sterilized.
Related to this, I’m wondering if it’s better to have an IUD than be on the pill in case they come after hormonal birth control? They can prevent you from getting pills, but they (hopefully) can’t force you to remove your IUD?
Yes. Mirena iud is good for up to 8 years. But yeah, it would be good to pay for the procedure in cash.
Here in Michigan, abortion protections are written into our constitution. Thanks, Big Gretch. But, I'm assuming that's overruled with a federal abortion ban? It feels silly to even ask.
AOC made a long, informative video (about a few things) that said if the GOP gets the House, they can—unfortunately—pass a federal law that supersedes state law.
It’s also worth noting that such a ban would trigger lots of lawsuits, many of which would not necessarily involve the Supreme Court. The lower courts were pretty key during the first admin about slowing, neutering, or blocking some of the most harmful policies.
The Supreme court would absolutely find a way to get involved. The Catholic majority can’t wait to outlaw abortion nationwide.
Link please? I'm confident she's right but would like to watch!
Not silly to ask! I have the same question. Very relevant under these circumstances.
Yes unless (hahaha) the Supreme Court overrules the federal ban.
I live in a state with a total ban. Is it worth trying to get abortion rights via referendum? Would it just be overturned with a federal ban? Are there groups who are going this route in the Deep South?
If GOP really controls both and house and senate, then no point, it would be better for to muster a coalition to try to take back both chambers in 2026 if free and fair elections are still a thing, knowing that will likely be the absolute last chance to wrestle back democracy.
We tried in Arkansas, but they found any reason to invalidate the work of countless organizers. Hopefully your state isn’t as crooked as ours is.
What happens when they come for the women who have had abortions
and miscarriages -- since my medical records also state abortion -- the procedure is the procedure!
I’ve had 5 medically necessary abortions. What happens to me?
I am sorry, but as a practicing Ob/Gyn and high risk abortion provider, stop getting pregnant if your health is jeopardized by pregnancy. Either you or your partner need to be sterilized because they will make contraception very difficult to obtain within the next few years. Some hospitals may allow abortions if the future national ban (there will be one) has health exceptions, but they will likely put restrictions on how many can be done each year (what they used to do in the old days) so that they stay under the radar. Your health risk may not qualify. I don't like to tell women not to get pregnant as I also provide high risk OB care, but we may not be able to do so in the future. That is reality now. I am sorry.
Oh I’m done now. I gave up. My body made it very clear it wasn’t going to cooperate. 💔
I watched a short documentary on pbs that showed how women who were enslaved were forced into "marriage " to procreate and have children to expand the enslavers labor force. Some women, while working in the cotton fields, discovered that eating a part of the plant served as a contraceptive . It was ingenious on their part and worth exploring since that's where we are headed.
I am so sorry. But I don’t think they care
Unfortunately stock in private prisons has suddenly skyrocketed.
What is the likelihood of a national ban and how quickly could it take affect? How does that work with state law?
A national abortion ban would go into effect in ALL states, it won't matter what you state law or constitution says.
How quickly are we likely to see fetal personhood laws/challenges pushed to the Supreme Court for a ruling?
Good question. I have no doubt the SC is looking to declare fetal personhood and my group is trying to get ahead of it here in Texas.
I live in Texas. Who is the group?
Texas Christians for Reproductive Justice. We sent out a one-question survey on cell and embryonic personhood last month to legislators who voted for SB8 (the bounty hunter bill) and anti-abortion candidates.
Trump said women should be punished. Will that be retroactive?
As some who has shared their abortion story publicly, I have legit wondered about this.
And I want to keep sharing my abortion story
I think it’s important that we do. But it would be good to know what kind of risk we are taking now.
I think they can't get everybody, and so they would focus on people who they perceive as a threat to their regime. Like they would definitely go after Jessica before they would go after the rest of us.
Sorry, but your post was so disturbing to me (about Jessica) that I couldn't 'like' it. But I think you are right. I fear they will single out the more public figures first, imprisoning them or worse. I just read Adam Kinzingers substack and it gave me some courage. But i can't stop the dark dystopian thoughts from arising. I know enough of Russian history to be very concerned for any writers or speakers who dare challenge the regime. That said, we just can't "obey in advance".
Yes. I've mentioned it more than once here just because I hope she's anticipating the danger. So far everything that everyone ever said couldn't happen, has been happening, and yes Russian history is a perfect comparison. That said, having read her memoir, I would never ever bet against her, but I just think everyone should be clear eyed about the path America is on so we can think about how to try to protect ourselves and more importantly each other.
I'd love a constitutional law expert to weigh in on whether or not it can be. I would think even our ultra-conservative Supreme Court couldn't get behind an ex post facto law, that's directly written in Article 1 of the Constitution, but if they found a way to create those "punishments" in a way where they were not considered to be ex post facto laws....
Recent events have shown that Republicans are in favor of law and order when it helps them, and against law and order when they want to do something else. Just as abortions are rebranded as "fetal separation" when they involve "good" people, then Congress will either find a way to justify ex post facto laws, or the Supreme Court will. Basically, the current state of the law is "Republicans get to make up any shit they want, and they have the guns to enforce it."
Yeah, I have no faith in them either. They reject ex post facto challenges all the time. People are worried that it will be "anyone who has ever had an abortion even in a blue state where it was legal is going to prison now" and that couldn't be upheld without throwing the whole damn constitution out the window, but I'd like to hear some experts explain what they could get away with, and what the broader implications of those decisions would be.
A good argument could be made that the Supreme Court has already thrown the whole damn Constitution out the window. Although they did torch it first.
Maybe they can allow civil suits retroactively but not retroactively criminally. I hope my comment makes sense.
Yes, it's that last clause. This is all ultimately backed by the ability and willingness to use force.
When I was in 8th grade, one April day our history teacher (who didn't normally collect homework) told us to pass our homework to the front of the room. When the excuses started flying, he blew up at us and said that it was unacceptable, and just to show us how seriously he meant it, anyone who had EVER not had homework ready that year was going to get a failing grade for the quarter. The room exploded with outrage and fear and confusion.
In the end, he stopped two who were about to go tell the principal, saying, "What you just witnessed is an example of ex post facto - applying a law retroactively, and Article 1 of our Constitution expressly forbids that." It was brilliant, and it seared that concept into my memory. So my guess is that the answer is No - it's way too hard to amend the constitution, and no court would permit it.
This Supreme Court is lawless. You may have noticed recently that they don’t even bother to explain their decisions, reminding me of parents who resort to saying “Because I say so”, when disciplining kids.
How do we support women in other states where abortion is being opposed or prohibited? How could I go about creating an abortion fund for those circumstances? What is the specific language we can use when debating people on abortion politics? (thank you!)
You don’t have to be Christian or religious to direct people to TexasChristians.org to find out how to address that issue from a Christian perspective. There is no question that the opposition to abortion is not Christian from a biblical standpoint.
I had no idea this existed, thank you
Sorry I can't remember the correct name, but an organization called something like "Faithful America" advocates the idea that there are many kinds of Christian view on abortion, including some that include compassion for people in need.
I know of Faithful America, but not what they have written on it. The Catholic Church bases their opposition to abortion on Catholic tradition and a non-biblical concept called ‘ensoulment.’ Mainstream Protestants have various denominational positions on abortion, some fully embracing the right to access it. Some like Churches of Christ just say they oppose it based on “the Bible” and sometimes edit biblical references to make it fit. Evangelicals did not oppose abortion, and some even accepted fully the Jewish perspective of life beginning with breath (“nefesh”—life, life-breath, essential self) until the late 1970s due to political considerations, desegregation of religious schools, and succumbing to the lust for power. Jerry Falwell didn’t preach against abortion until 5 years after Roe was decided. Evangelicals backed into the Bible with largely irrelevant verses in Jeremiah, Isaiah, and one of the Psalms which ignored the Genesis 2:7 and Ezekiel 37 references to life beginning following the formation of the ‘vessel’ (body). While I respect anyone’s deeply held belief, I don’t respect when those beliefs are foisted on others.
To an extent, the phrase "pro-choice" was used to avoid using the word "abortion" but it does stress that even when a safe, legal abortion is available and affordable, a person who does not want an abortion doesn't have to have one. And the reason NOT to want an abortion could be secular or religious.
A lot of human history is about adherents of one religion fighting adherents of another religion. Even if you believe that religious faith is better than atheism or agnosticism, you have to understand that religion is the furthest thing from uniform. And not all religions are Western. Before the current crew got their hands on it, the Supreme Court interpreted the First Amendment to forbid any kind of established church or official religion--and in fact to put religion and non-religion on the same footing. In this reading, while there are a lot more Christians than Shintoists or Confucians or animists in the United States, that doesn't confer higher standing on Christian beliefs (much less a subset of Christian beliefs) than on those less common religions.
I’m certainly not implying that Christianity has a higher standard than other faith traditions. My concern is pragmatic as well as holding to my own deeply held belief—large swaths of the electorate in Texas are Christian and are taught that to be a Christian, because of abortion, have to vote Republican. The Christian faith is built on the concept of love of neighbor expressed as being merciful and just, not a set of beliefs to check off that are individualistic in nature instead of communal.
Thank you very much for sharing that link! I now feel better prepared if confronted with the so-called religious argument against abortion.
This is a pro-choice group?
Yes. More specifically a reproductive justice group in that we are also concerned about high maternal mortality rates.
Every single abortion-suppressed state has tons of existing and locally run abortion funds. Look up buckle bunnies in tx if you want a place to start.
Are you in Texas, too? I definitely think that giving to organizations that fund travel is equally important. So many on the hotline I’m volunteering for are needing that support.
I read today that city of Austin is expanding their funding for this...
Lots of states that ban abortions still have thriving abortion funds that are linked in to local resources and the community! You can see the national network here: https://abortionfunds.org/
The Center for Reproductive Rights and the Brigid Alliance are 2 sites that can use money.
how seriously do I need to plan for my own/ my daughters access to birth control/ plan b/ abortion medication (shes 6).
That's scary because the shelf life of many of these products may not be long enough. You are wise to be thinking ahead.
Agreed. It’s like .. do we need stockpile after stockpile? It’s not feasible long term for sure but like … what do we do :(
I'd also like to know what plans you could have for your daughter's access
I would get plan C and some plan B. I think the shelf life on plan C is two years
You know what scares the hell out of me? Nick Fuentes, Neo-Nazi "personality," posted this on Twitter:
"Your body, my choice."
A fear we have touched upon--men targeting the women they want to have a baby with, via rape-- can be realized in the blink of an eye since a national abortion ban will mean a rape victim will have to carry the fetus to term, as we all know.
Can we become this dystopian? I read today that sales of The Handmaid's Tale were soaring. I just check Amazon. It's #73 in sales overall, and #1 in Dystopian Science Fiction; #1 in Contemporary Literature & Fiction; #2 in Contemporary Literary Fiction.
It seems a number of women are really concerned this could become their reality. How do we address this potential threat?
My brother predicted violence against women, which is already epidemic, will increase to new heights, because all of these men have just been validated. It's numbingly heartbreaking and I wish I had an answer.
Hard agree. As a survivor, what keeps going through my head for the last several weeks is the look on the perpetrator's face as it was happening. That look has been enough to tell me that the line between a country where women are people and where women are seen as less than human is very, very, very thin. I pray that men will start to create a culture where they call each other out and make it unacceptable, but I don't have a lot of hope.
There has to be a backlash to this, to what just happened and is going to happen, but I don't know if it will be enough. I'm sorry your trauma is resurfacing acutely now 💔
Look up 4B
Thanks, I fear your brother is right.
I’m longing for some kind of guidance around all the bases we may have to cover if we are no longer full legal humans under the law. Abortion and contraceptives, but also what happens if we slide back to not being able to own property, have our own bank accounts, etc? How do we protect ourselves and each other?
I hope this is okay that I post this here -- I assembled a list of wishlists for abortion clinics, if anyone is looking for a way to help. https://www.inbloomcommunications.com/blog/amazon-wishlist-reprorights-orgs
This is amazing, thank you for creating this!
This is great! Thank you!
I really appreciate your doing this, but buying from Amazon means paying inflated prices and supporting a union-busting company that is destroying local economies. As noted above, there are many independent local abortion funds. Two I can think of off the top of my head are Yellowhammer Fund and Tennessee Freedom Circle. If you go to the site for a fund, there is a very strong chance they will have a wish list. Or, of course, you can give them as much as you can afford and they'll just buy what they need. BTW abortion funds often provide things like menstrual products and baby diapers for whatever reproductive health needs their clients have.
I hear you. I divested from Amazon years ago. I decided to go back on the site this week because I wanted to send physical items that the organizations have specifically requested. I also had some amazon gift cards that I used up.
Of course, donating money directly is nearly always the best way to impact an organization. I wish that abortion clinics had donation lists directly on their website, but that's not widely practiced. Unfortunately, this is the system we have right now and that many funds have opted into. I hope that changes soon. It would be awesome if there was an alternative.
Everyone should support in whatever way they feel comfortable -- the most important thing is that we are supporting people who make reproductive health care possible.
Thank you for this work. Someone I shared the site with, however, expressed concern that Amazon-connected info could fall into the wrong hands. Maybe it's better that we go to the sites of individual providers and organizations and see their wishlists there, or simply donate to them, as Dana Shilling suggests in this thread? Thank you again.
You're very welcome. I think everyone should do whatever is best for them and their level of risk, and of course, donating to organizations directly is always the best policy.
I may need a hysterectomy in the near future due to stage 3-4 endometriosis. Will procedures like that be endangered by a ban? (I really have no idea anymore if that’s a silly question or something I need to be legit worried about)
Even if you can get one, I want to amplify my question re our access to HRT after surgery (which you will need to avoid going into immediate menopause and also for your bone health, vitality etc)
(I’m heartbroken at the speed this is getting liked. We should not have to be worried about this.)
What can we do now to support a more dramatic version of reality down the road where the only care is a secret network of women assisting each other in person. Like do we all literally need to be ready to go Vera Drake and be trained in home abortions? Or what can we do now to create a physical Jane-style network for when the proper channels get shut down entirely? This sounds crazy as I type it but I can't stop thinking about it.
It’s been done before. Underground network yo help women access care.
Do you see any particular opportunities for coalition between this movement and other groups that have been threatened (i.e., lgbtqia advocacy groups, disability advocacy groups, BIPOC groups, etc.) and how can we best support each other given our diverse (but perhaps dove-tailed?) priorities in the coming times?
I also want to ask what should we do if, for example, our local abortion fund leader decided to actively campaign for Jill Stein against Kamala Harris, who was our best hope at preventing a national ban. I'm seeing a lot of distrust and resentment.
great question.
Christ Geidner at Law Dork has great discussions of LGBTQA issues. Pregnancy Justice is a BIPOC-focused group covering reproductive justice. By and large, groups identified as reproductive justice groups are likely to take an intersectional view.
I want to help my friends be as prepared as possible for what's coming. I want to tell them to have Plan B, condoms, extra birth control, and abortion pills in their homes (for them or for their loved ones). But that's a super scary conversation to have. Can you tell me what to say? And what else do we need to have in posession? Or do we risk making supplies scarce for other people?
Pregnancy tests so women can keep their pregnancy private past the period when early miscarriages take place,
PAPER calendars to monitor menstrual cycles, so if appropriate they can show that gestation is not longer than the state limit (or, of course, can vanish with no electronic traces if required). Nobody should use fertility tracking apps because the data is easy to weaponize.
Really good question about making supplies scarce, but I think the idea of COVID "pods" will be extended, so that if one person has supplies that aren't needed, they can be transferred to someone else who does need them.
Under current circumstances it's probably better for a person ordering mifi/miso to order a double course in case a repeat dosage is needed to complete an abortion. (I was surprised but also kind of scared by a webinar where someone said "My self-managed abortion didn't proceed on schedule so I just repeated the dose and it was fine.") Unneeded extra medication can then be shared within the pod or given back to a local organization.
Tell them to stay off period tracker apps
If they try to ban contraceptives, how quickly could that happen? Would it also ban the hormones in birth control that are used by trans women, women who are in menopause, and women who have had their ovaries removed?
And people with PMDD, menstrual migraines, extremely heavy bleeding, and other common non-contraceptive uses for the pill/patch/ring.