On Friday afternoon, news broke that the House had voted 241-187 to block funding to Planned Parenthood. It was an all-new, terrifying and enraging low point in the current debate over Planned Parenthood and abortion – that “callous attempt to insert politics into women’s health” (in the words of Planned Parenthood Action Fund spokesperson Eric Ferrerro).
In reaction, #shoutyourabortion emerged on Twitter this weekend and it’s now gone viral: since Friday, over 70,000 people have tweeted using the hashtag. The movement, started by writers Lindy West and Amelia Bonow, is fighting to challenge the stigma of abortion and counter the misinformation on which the Defund Planned Parenthood Act is founded (the most ridiculous thing of all: PP does not even use government funding to provide abortions!). On Friday, West tweeted, “The campaign to defund PP ‘relies on the assumption that abortion is to be whispered about.'” Here’s what some of the many, many people who decided to speak up had to say:
My abortion was in ’10 & the career I’ve built since then fulfills me & makes me better able to care for kids I have now. #ShoutYourAbortion
— Lindy West (@thelindywest) September 20, 2015
4.1 million mothers and children living in poverty but yes, let’s force pregnancy while shaming welfare recipients #ShoutYourAbortion
— meg (@mylilnutmeg) September 22, 2015
It’s not about glorifying abortions. It’s acknowledging that we deserve the right to manage our own wellness. #ShoutYourAbortion
— Autumn (@AutumnKar) September 21, 2015
I support a woman’s right to choose, and universal healthcare for all.#ShoutYourAbortion
— Lee Radziwill (@LeeRadziwill) September 22, 2015
Because as we all know, if men needed abortions, you’d be able to get world class ones from the local bodega for free #ShoutYourAbortion
— Kat Georgé (@kat_george) September 22, 2015
While it is almost certain that the bill won’t pass, there’s never been a more important time to make yourself heard. As Rep. Lois Frankel said on Friday, “The bill is based upon lies and exaggerations. If you want to have a truthful debate, then let’s talk about the 400,000 Pap smears, the 500,000 breast exams, the 4.5 million STD and HIV tests that Planned Parenthood does each year.”
Credits
Text Alice Newell-Hanson
Photography Charlotte Cooper via Flickr