I've been thinking for the past few days about what I would write on Blog for Choice Day. The first thing that came to mind is how glad I am to be born into a generation in which Roe V. Wade was already enacted. So many people had fought long and hard before I was even a twinkle in my mother's eye to ensure that women would have the right to choose what to do with their bodies and for that, I am grateful.
The next thing that came to mind was how vulnerable this right is in light of the conservative turn that this country has taken. When we started the PWCL Blog not too long ago I posted about the Global Gag Rule that restricts NGOs from providing family planning services (ie birth control and abortion) to women. It is sad to me that in 2007 we are still fighting to protect the rights we've earned via Roe V. Wade and fighting even more for the women around the world who have restricted or no access to family planning services because of a judgment placed upon them by the Bush Administration.
So on this Blog for Choice Day, I want to give a big shout out to all of you out there who continue to fight for the right to choose, and for those who are also fighting for thousands, maybe millions of women in other countries who's voices have been stifled by a handful of people in the US government. So as they would have said in the 70s, keep on truckin', ladies.
Showing posts with label blog for choice day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blog for choice day. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Blog for Choice Day
It's Blog for Choice Day for any of you who didn't know. Happy B-Day Roe v. Wade. PWCL and Roe are the same age!
so here's my Blog for Choice Day post. I hope you'll post one too.
A friend of mine told me once that she wanted a t-shirt that said, I've had an abortion. Wanna talk about it? I found the T-shirt in this image by doing a simple search. I like it. I love the idea that one January 22nd in the future, women who have had abortions will feel safe enough to wear this T-shirt in honor of the choices (some hard, some not so hard) that a lot of us have had to make.
If you read this blog or know me, you know that I have a daughter. You might know that she is probably the main reason I put my heart, soul and a huge amount of my time into spreading the word about PWCL and talking about ending interpersonal violence. She's also the reason I would wear a T-shirt like this today if I were brave enough. Honestly, I don't really know if I am. Sure, I could wear it in the office but to the store? to my doctor's office? to my daughter's daycare?
Abortion, like domestic and sexual violence, is an issue that people don't want to talk about. It seems even if individuals are willing to talk about it, it is rare to find a person who isn't instilled with some kind of cultural judgment which can then be turned back on the woman sharing her story either maliciously or subconsciously. Ultimately, this leaves women who have had abortions (and likewise, people who are experiencing violence) with very few resources for being heard, respected and empowered to heal.
Enter stage right - a hotline. I heard about this hot line Exhale on NPR this morning. They provide after-abortion support and counseling to anyone who calls, regardless of when they had an abortion. What struck me was how the spokesperson for the organization kept reiterating something that our own Volunteer Advocate Kendra said turning her speech at Safety in Numbers last year.
What both this woman from Exhale and Kendra had to say was fairly simple but so powerful. They both said that the most important thing that they could do was listen without judgment and that for someone who has gone through an abortion (or, in PWCL's case, has survived interpersonal violence) simply speaking out loud what has happened is a tremendous sign of strength.
On Blog for Choice Day, I applaud everyone who has the strength to speak the truth of their experience. I am speaking mine here, by wearing this virtual T-shirt. We are all very brave.
so here's my Blog for Choice Day post. I hope you'll post one too.
A friend of mine told me once that she wanted a t-shirt that said, I've had an abortion. Wanna talk about it? I found the T-shirt in this image by doing a simple search. I like it. I love the idea that one January 22nd in the future, women who have had abortions will feel safe enough to wear this T-shirt in honor of the choices (some hard, some not so hard) that a lot of us have had to make.
If you read this blog or know me, you know that I have a daughter. You might know that she is probably the main reason I put my heart, soul and a huge amount of my time into spreading the word about PWCL and talking about ending interpersonal violence. She's also the reason I would wear a T-shirt like this today if I were brave enough. Honestly, I don't really know if I am. Sure, I could wear it in the office but to the store? to my doctor's office? to my daughter's daycare?
Abortion, like domestic and sexual violence, is an issue that people don't want to talk about. It seems even if individuals are willing to talk about it, it is rare to find a person who isn't instilled with some kind of cultural judgment which can then be turned back on the woman sharing her story either maliciously or subconsciously. Ultimately, this leaves women who have had abortions (and likewise, people who are experiencing violence) with very few resources for being heard, respected and empowered to heal.
Enter stage right - a hotline. I heard about this hot line Exhale on NPR this morning. They provide after-abortion support and counseling to anyone who calls, regardless of when they had an abortion. What struck me was how the spokesperson for the organization kept reiterating something that our own Volunteer Advocate Kendra said turning her speech at Safety in Numbers last year.
What both this woman from Exhale and Kendra had to say was fairly simple but so powerful. They both said that the most important thing that they could do was listen without judgment and that for someone who has gone through an abortion (or, in PWCL's case, has survived interpersonal violence) simply speaking out loud what has happened is a tremendous sign of strength.
On Blog for Choice Day, I applaud everyone who has the strength to speak the truth of their experience. I am speaking mine here, by wearing this virtual T-shirt. We are all very brave.
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