I’m an activist.
In my “real” life, my vanilla life ~ I’m a feminist, and an activist.
You may have already figured that out.
But that’s not what i’m usually about on these pages. i don’t think there’s a conflict between submission and feminism and activism. But it’s not usually what i’m about here.
Today, it is.
i’ve been involved in actively supporting access to reproductive choice for over two years. My volunteer gig that i talk about on Saturday morning? i escort at the abortion clinic in Where-i-Live.
i walk with women who are patients at the clinic and their companions past the gauntlet of pray-ers, preachers, and chasers ~ often 50-100 protesters, sometimes more ~ who yell at the women, harass them, and try to stop them from exercising their right to choose. i can’t protect the women or shield them. i just walk with them. Accompany them on this little piece of their life journey.
It has been a life-altering experience for me.
i have become more aware than most people of how the religious right is pushing on our reproductive rights. The laws that are introduced over and over seeking to limit access to abortion in every possible way. Some of them have passed in some states, others are yearly battle grounds.
Waiting periods. Face-to-face counseling 24 hours ahead of time. So if you don’t live in the city where the clinic is, you have to travel twice, or find overnight housing.
Mandatory descriptions of the ultrasound ~ scripted for the doctor or technician, some of which script is not even medically accurate.
TRAP laws {Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers} ~ special regulations that apply only to abortion clinics that make it more difficult to be in compliance ~ like how wide a doorway has to be, how high a sink has to stand. Things that don’t actually impact safety and aren’t medically necessary, rules that are designed to prevent compliance.
Threats to providers physical safety. The murder of abortion doctors. Threats to staff, to escorts. A politician who recently called out for public hangings ~ of murderers, thieves, and abortion doctors. Laws that have been introduced, but not passed (yet) allowing for a “justifiable homicide” defense if you kill an abortion provider.
Personhood laws, not yet passed, that would give a fertilized egg the same rights as a live person. That would mean no stem-cell research. That would mean even a fallopian tubal pregnancy couldn’t be terminated. It could mean that any miscarriage would call for an investigation. The woman would need to prove it happened naturally and wasn’t induced or through her own fault.
Knowing that there are people who consider themselves good Christians working to make all this reality has changed my view of the world. And that was worrisome enough.
But now ~ have you noticed? They’re going for birth control.
The same people i see screaming on the sidewalk every Saturday, and a bunch of politicians, are aiming at birth control. Is that what we want?
Because i’m here to tell you, these folks are scary. They see life through a very narrow tunnel. You either do things their way, or you’re doing it the wrong way. Well, in their minds. And they think they have the right to force you to do it their way.
Politically, they are gaining tremendous power. Be aware of that.
If you’re against abortion, that’s fine. Don’t have one. If you’re against birth control, that’s fine too. Don’t use it. I’m not here to change your mind.
But if we don’t speak out, all of us who have benefitted from access to birth control, all of us who believe in the right to choose, they will chip away at all reproductive rights. We’ll be back to using coca-cola douches for birth control and coat hangers for abortions.
If you don’t want to go back, speak up.
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If you want access to more information, feel free to ask in the comments, or email me at aisha.hisservant@gmail.com