Abortion AF
Pro-Life Means Anti-Women
Those trying to control the right to female reproductive healthcare are a misguided and mean cult of true believers
On the evening of January 22, 2023, we gathered for pizza and beer with a large group to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision.
The admission price was $19.73 to remember the year of the original decision — fundraising for the women’s health clinic.
On the table were stickers that said ABORTIONaf. I was pretty sure I knew what the ‘af’ stood for, but I turned to the young women sitting at our table to ask. They laughed and wondered if this grandpa-looking guy really wanted them to say.
Having ‘As Fuck’ at the end of abortion stood for a huge exclamation point, making it clear that there were no exceptions to our support of women’s personal reproductive health decisions.
We met new friends and listened to speakers as the evening went on. However, the most emotionally charged for me was the testimony of a clinic escort volunteer.
She said a crowd of protestors confronts anyone entering the WE Health Center. Wielding posters of a fetus and Bible passages about murder, they are not allowed to accost patients, but they do.
The American Civil Liberties Union lays out the guidelines for protest:
You may not: Block access to sidewalks or buildings. March in the streets without a permit. Disrupt counter-protests. Engage in speech that is obscene, makes knowingly false statements of fact, or that is likely to incite an immediate disruptive or dangerous disturbance.
Unfortunately, true believers, so-called pro-lifers, constantly ignore these warnings. The escort reported that one followed her to her car, continually threatening her with loud Bible quotes.
It is no stretch to call such behavior ‘violent’ or, at the very least, harassment.
These protests blocking women’s health clinics are only about keeping women from having an abortion.
Pro-lifers? They should be called anti-women, instead.
They accost women entering for prenatal care. What does that say about their intentions?
The emergence and growth of their whole movement resulted from political characters pitching anti-abortion in churches.
It was successful beyond any of their misguided dreams.
Their minions elected a deluded President who appoints Supreme Court justices just because they will decide against Roe v. Wade.
So here we were in the backroom of a tavern, feeling fortunate abortion is legal in our state of Minnesota. Yet it was hard to dismiss a feeling of despair when so much of the US enacts laws against it.
Can this change? It is a challenge that cannot be ignored. And we say ABORTIONaf.