Apologies in advance for the lack of gender-neutral language.

The first five minutes were the hardest to stomach. Hundreds of devastatingly ignorant, power-tripping teens, crusading against the “American Holocaust,” attend religious camps, where they fill their heads with more lies and tactics to manipulate others.

Clips of their proven-fake, gory propaganda are interspersed with an interview with Jim Buchy, a conservative Ohio representative. Buchy was a co-sponsor of the “heartbeat bill,” which would have banned abortion once the fetal heartbeat could be detected - as early as six or seven weeks into the pregnancy. Claiming he supports any legislation that aims to “reduce or eliminate abortions,” when asked if he can think of a reason why someone would want an abortion, Buchy stammers, “I don’t know - I’ve never - it’s a question I’ve never even thought about.”

His non-answer is typical of the anti-choice movement. Instead of attempting to address the circumstances that lead people to need abortions, they work to further disenfranchise those they claim to care about by further removing the choices they can safely make.

Fault Lines also interviews Troy Newman, president of the radical anti-choice terrorist group, Operation Rescue. Newman makes the anti-choice movement’s goal clear: Close the clinics that perform safe, legal abortions by any means necessary.

If we never overturn Roe v. Wade, that’s okay. As long as I can close every abortion clinic and stop every abortion, we win.

However, abortion providers know the real story:

My goal is to keep this procedure safe and legal for women, because it’s not going away. Even if we make it illegal, women will have abortions, and they will die.

Anonymous asked: I have been reading your pro-choice posts after finally being made aware at how horrifically politicians regard abortion rights. I was always in the belief abortion should be left in the choice of the woman carrying it and all the things I read on your blog and others like it have reinforced this. I would like to further educate myself this matter and discuss other topics relating to this.I have facebook and my name is Amber Clark. Please contact me so I can give you my e-mail, I have no tumblr.

I’m keeping myself anonymous on this account, so I won’t contact you through Facebook. You can email me through the Abortion Assistance Blog’s email (abortionassistanceblog@gmail.com), and feel free to ask any questions you like here on anon!

In the meantime, my Important Posts page is a good place to start. You can click on the tags of each post to learn more about specific topics, too. (I made a page of frequent tags on this blog for easy reference.)

The Crisis Project recently investigated the Pregnancy Resource Center in Louisville, Kentucky. Immediately upon her arrival, “counselors” began to desperately persuade the investigator not to have an abortion using manipulative language, medical misinformation, lies, and tears.

Pregnancy resource centers, also known as crisis pregnancy centers, are infamous for these tactics. If you are pregnant and unsure of your options, DO NOT GO TO THESE CENTERS. Often, they will set up shop near an abortion provider in an attempt to trick patients into coming to them. If you’re not sure if you’re in the right place, ask explicitly if they perform abortions. Any answer other than a clear “yes” will tell you all you need to know.

Abortion Experiences

This collection is also posted at the Abortion Assistance Blog.

Videos:

The Abortion Diaries (a short documentary featuring 12 women)

Abortion

5 Questions About My Abortion

My Abortion Experience

My surgical abortion at 9 weeks. Part 1.

Our Reality: Aspen’s Experience with Abortion

My Abortion Story

Blogs:

Un-Expecting

What To Expect When You’re Aborting

Next Thursday

Able to have an abortion, thanks to the National Network of Abortion Funds

I had an abortion

What I Did Last Weekend

The Land of “Oh Fucking Shit”: When The Choice Is Yours and the follow-up, In Which I Wait Two Menstrual Cycles

Crasstalk: I Had An Abortion

Crasstalk: By the Time You Read This

I submitted my testimony today in opposition of the heartbeat bill here in Ohio

Why I Had An Abortion: Parts 3 and 4

{Two Years;; Feels Like Forever}

What It’s Really Like To Have An Abortion

Surgical Abortion

How My Abortion Enabled Me To Be A Better Mother

Why This Women Chose Abortion - at 29 Weeks

Another Memory of Visiting Dr. Tiller (severe fetal anomalies)

We are the 1 in 3

Abortion Confessions

STFU Conservatives #noregrets

I’m Not Sorry

Abortion Stories

Amplify

Pro-Choice Thank Yous

Thanks, Abortion!

Many Voices - Many Choices

45 Million Voices

Project Voice

Women’s Stories About Abortion

National Network of Abortion Funds: How are women’s lives affected?

Your Hopes and Dreams

A Heartbreaking Choice (severe fetal anomalies)

Liberals Adore Abortion

leftybegone:

In light of Missouri Rep. Todd Akin’s comments about “legitimate rape,” I want to look at those two topics, rape and abortion, rather than, as I did Tuesday, looking at Akin’s comments.

One of the holiest of sacraments to liberals is abortion. They do not simply support the freedom of choice, but specifically the choice that results in a baby being turned into merely the remains of a baby. We know they prefer abortion to birth for the following reason:

The pro-“choice” crowd never tries to encourage women to “choose” life. Instead they attack people who do try to encourage women to choose life. They also never attend pro-life rallies except to protest. And you never see signs at pro-life rallies that say, “I support being able to choose abortion, but I prefer the choice of life.” That’s because there is nobody on the pro-“choice” side who generally prefers life for the unborn. For their own unborn, perhaps. But not for others’.

Many people suggest we keep abortion legal for cases of rape—-in other words, keep between less than 1 percent and up to 5 percent of abortions legal. But if we outlaw all abortions, excepting for rape, then that means abortions committed because the mother doesn’t want to be responsible for her actions would be outlawed as well. Keeping abortion legal only for cases of rape would be the de facto position of liberals if they didn’t actually want abortions to be committed. But the pro-“choice” side does have a heavy preference for one choice: abortion. If we make abortion only legal in the case of rape, then 95 to 99 percent of abortions that happen each day will be illegal. Liberals cannot stomach the possibility of such a low abortion rate. They want abortion legal for cases of responsibility avoidance. (They loathe personal responsibility almost as much as they love the wails of the 5,000-per-day murdered unborn.)

Liberals also incorrectly frame the issue to advance this sacramental cause of theirs: They tell the public that there can only be two ways: either all abortions have to be legal and for any reason at all, or no abortions can be legal. Is this because compromise is not part of their repertoire?

You would think that the solution of outlawing all abortions except in cases of rape and endangerment of the mother’s life would appease both political parties. I know it is certainly a solution that Republicans and conservatives would gladly accept without a moment’s pause, plus it’d prevent liberals from screaming, “WHAT ABOUT IF SOMEONE GETS RAPED! YOU LIKE RAPISTS MORE THAN WOMEN!” But it is a solution that would drastically reduce abortion rates. The only reason for a liberal to oppose it is if that liberal specifically likes abortion.

And that is unfortunately the case. Liberals at heart fundamentally believe that preventing unborn babies from continuing their lives is the better choice. No other conclusion can be made. They simply adore abortion.

It’s simply bizarre that anyone could possible believe this. It really is. It just goes to show how far removed from reality so many anti-choicers are. They can’t conceive of someone who understands that their personal choice and sense of morality isn’t universal - if you support abortion, you must hate babies.

Never mind the existence of pro-choice midwives and doulas, or that 61% of people who get abortions already have very much loved and cared-for children. Never mind that I, an ardent pro-choicer, just spent three days compiling resources for low-income people who want to be parents, because I know the second most common reason for getting an abortion is financial concerns (the first, of course, being unready or unwilling to be a parent). Nope. If you don’t advocate forcing unwilling people to give birth, you must hate babies.

I do adore abortion, though. I love that birth is not mandatory. I love that we are now able to safely and legally perform one of the easiest medical procedures on earth. I love that people are able to choose whether or not they sacrifice their bodies for 9+ months to bring forth new life. I love that people can choose to wait until they are ready to parent - or choose to never parent. I love that abortion makes the choice of parenthood that much more meaningful.

(Source: leftybegone, via oh-snap-pro-lifers)

New Hampshire Sheriff Candidate Says He's Willing to Use Deadly Force to Stop Abortions →

Republican candidate for Hillsborough County Sheriff, Frank Szabo, said today that he would arrest any doctor performing elective abortions in his jurisdiction. Further, he wouldn’t be opposed to using deadly force:

“I would respond specifically by saying that if someone is under threat, a full-grown human being, if they’re under threat, what should the sheriff do? Everything in their power to prevent them from being harmed,” he said.

When pressed about what he would do if he learned that a doctor was about to perform an elective abortion, Szabo replied he would do what it took to prevent that from happening.

“Absolutely,” he said. “Well, I would hope that it wouldn’t come to that, as with any situation where someone is in danger, but again, specifically talking about elective abortions and late-term abortions, that is an act that needs to be stopped.”

Even if the abortion was legal in the state of New Hampshire, Szabo says that as sheriff, he would not need to answer to any higher authority or public official.

While Szabo has no law enforcement background, he claims his business experience qualifies him for the job.

Judicial Bypass for Minors Seeking Abortion Is Not Enough →

Thirty-seven states currently require minors obtain parental consent or notification before getting a safe, legal abortion. For many who come from abusive homes or other situations in which telling their parents would pose a threat to their safety and wellbeing, this is impossible.

States have allowed minors alternatives to parental notification/consent by offering judicial bypass, in which the pregnant person must schedule a hearing with a judge and attorney to determine if they are “mature” enough to make their own decisions about their body.

For some, this is still impossible. Courthouse hours may only be during school hours, for example, for a minor who is unable to miss class without risking their anonymity and safety. Others fear their anonymity will be compromised by the hearing itself, especially in small towns. In one case described in the linked PDF, a minor found that her hearing would be conducted by her former Sunday school teacher.

Others still are denied their legal right to abortion, simply because the judge finds it distasteful or against their own beliefs. It is common in some states for minors to travel out of state because local judges refuse to hold the hearings, or court personnel are found to be incompetent or deliberately unhelpful.

A judge in Toledo, Ohio denied permission to a 17 ½-year-old woman, an “A” student who planned to attend college, and who testified she was not financially or emotionally prepared to take on both college and motherhood at the same time, stating that the girl had “not had enough hard knocks in her life.”

In Louisiana, a judge denied a 15-year-old’s bypass petition “after asking her a series of inappropriate questions including what the minor would say to the fetus about her decision.”  Her request was granted only after a rehearing by six appellate court judges.

Parental notification/consent and court hearings delay the abortion by a minimum of three days, raising the medical risks posed by abortion. The longer the pregnancy continues, the harder it is to find a clinic that will perform an abortion.

A Montgomery, Alabama teenager who sought a judicial bypass petition to obtain an abortion without her mother’s consent was granted the petition after it was too late to get an abortion in Montgomery County.  The only clinic that could perform the abortion in the state was in Birmingham.  Because the court order was only valid in Montgomery County, the minor had to repeat the court process, which caused another week to pass before she was able to terminate pregnancy.  As a result of the delay, the procedure was riskier and more costly than it would have been when she first sought the abortion.

Parental notification and consent laws are dangerous in multiple ways. If a minor feels safe and comfortable telling their parents about their choice, they will do so. Even without such laws, six out of ten minors tell at least one parent. It is not the government’s place to force minors to share such an intimate and personal decision with their guardians.

How you know the Pro-choice movement is limping towards its death.

prochoicetruth:

nikosnature:

Have you seen the big deal pro-choicers have made about Todd Akin’s statements?  In fact, its the only thing they’ve been talking about recently, as if pro-lifers actually stand behind his statements.

They’re setting a smokescreen by taking down a strawman argument.  They want to show they can show Todd Akin is wrong, so they must be right, when really, they’re only making a big deal about Todd Akin to score emotional points, because they know they’ve lost the battle with the mainstream pro-life movement.

It’s not a question of whether abortion will be abolished, but when.  I’m betting 10-20 years, though I’ve always been a pessimist.  Either way, we still have to push forward until the battle is won, but let none of you doubt that victory will be ours.

Or, you know, we’re concentrating more on the rape-shaming portion of his argument… there could be that…

I always have advocated education. This man was obviously poorly educated. So I provide education to those who believe what he does.

Gotta love the irony of an anti-choicer setting up a strawman of a strawman.

It’s been a good day for pro-choice humor.

(via choosechoice)

Why am I coming out of the shadows to post this? IDK. This is not my official return, for the record, but this was so inaccurate that I had to respond…

prochoicetruth:

advocateforlife:

There is everything heroic about that decision. She’s not being coerced by anyone save the freakshows screaming at her on the sidewalk, and an escort provides some protection from that.

Very few pro-life people scream from the sidewalk. Because most believer in a higher power, they prayer silently from a distance. Some will offer additional information for parenting and adoption resources, but only the women who are interested will take it. Clinic escorts are only in place to make sure a woman doesn’t try to walk over to the person standing/kneeling on the sidewalk. Clinic escorts THINK they’re doing something beneficial for the woman, but they’re not. They’re only beneficial to the abortion clinic - because they’re typically working for no pay, and they’re directing women straight into the clinic, which means $$$ for the staff.

I had to have an escort when I had my D&C

I was being screamed and cursed at from the protesters, was having pamphlets shoved into my hands and bag (Yes. One woman grabbed at my bag and stuffed crap into it. I was called a baby-killer, had signs waved at me, and was generally harassed.

The kicker?

The D&C was for an incomplete miscarriage. 

My escort was amazing. She helped me out when I started crying and sat with me in the waiting room. And by the way, due to my income bracket, the procedure was free. Planned Parenthood works on a sliding scale, in case you didn’t know. So we’re not looking at $$$ for the clinic.

I was not the only woman there that day, and I was not the only woman harassed by protesters. 

My experience contradicts your assertions. 

advocateforlife, you can lie and cherry-pick all you like, but there’s a reason people, pro-choice or not, have an image of violent, yelling anti-choice protestors with gory, inaccurate signs - because that’s what happens. Those who “offer” other resources are usually the ones crowding the car the minute it pulls up, following the patient to the door, yelling and shoving pamplets into their hands all the way.

Anti-choice protestors THINK they’re doing something beneficial for the patients, but they’re not. They’re only beneficial to their own personal sense of morality, their church, their adoption agency, or their grades. Nearly any account you read of someone who got an abortion after running the gauntlet of protestors will tell you that getting into the clinic was the worst, most traumatizing part of their experience.

I’ll tell you something else, too. Clinic escorts don’t escort patients unless the patient says it’s okay. Clinic escorts give patients the option to talk to the protestors. In fact, they give them a lot of choices, because clinic escorts care about empowering patients. That’s why most of them are volunteers - as in any other volunteer opportunity, they know what they are doing is good.

I don’t see anti-choice protestors giving patients the option not to be harassed.

(via choosechoice)

klondikebar123 asked: There's such a lack of prochoice groups that will help the woman if she chooses parenting or adoption...I wish I had the time or money to begin an organization. :(

I’ve noticed that, and it’s a really big problem with the pro-choice movement. We’ve let crisis pregnancy centers fill that need, and I just can’t in good conscience send someone to one of those places, even if all they need is a free ultrasound to determine how far along they are and how much time they have to decide. I want there to be safe, pro-choice centers that provide referrals to adoption and parenting resources, but use their funds for free ultrasounds, baby care items, and other services provided by CPCs. Abortions are expensive to perform and that’s one of the reasons our overworked clinics often can’t provide much more.

I could go on and on about issues with the pro-choice movement/feminism in general in terms of parenting and adoption. Being pro-choice means supporting all reproductive choices and factors that affect choice (education, health care, poverty, the safety/stigma of making certain choices in certain situations, etc.). I think people are too afraid to talk about these problems because abortion rights are under attack, and if we’re seen acknowledging things we need to work on, people fear (and rightfully so) we would inevitably give anti-choicers more fodder.

If we were guaranteed safety from more pointlessly restrictive laws, harassment, and terrorism, we could probably better (and more willingly, let’s be honest) address the issues we face. We have the anti-choice movement to thank for that.

We don’t give up easily, though! I know there has to be something out there.

ipomoeandthestarstealers submitted:

This should be longer!  I was scared, it was unexpected and unwanted, but the PP in Olympia, WA was wonderful and compassionate when I came to them and had my pregnancy confirmed.  They first discussed options: carrying to term and adopting, carrying to term and actively parenting, or aborting.  They explained the assorted resources available to me based on my age/income bracket/etc in the area, and asked what kind of emotional/financial support I had from my parents (who did NOT know I was pregnant three weeks into my freshman year of college).  I explained that I wanted an abortion, and they discussed the financial situation with me, that I had to provide payment for it, whether with state vouchers for low-income medical care or out-of-pocket or insurance.  I had health insurance but was afraid to use it because my parents would find out.  I tried to get state assistance but was unable to do so due to my insurance and my parents’ income.  I didn’t know what I was going to do and I was unable to come up with the finances needed to abort.  Luckily (?) for me, I ended up miscarrying at approximately 11 weeks, which was far along enough that I needed to go to the ER and have a D&C at the local Catholic hospital (where the staff was, once again, compassionate and kind).  Eventually, the bill for the ER visit ended up at my parents’ house and the whole story came out, and they were sympathetic and my mom told me about how she’d had two abortions before deciding to have me.

I continued to use Planned Parenthood as my go-to for reproductive health resources even when I didn’t have insurance (thanks, Take Charge program!).  When I did have insurance, I still went, because the staff was so amazing.  When my husband and I decided to get pregnant, the nurse-practitioner at PP taught me how to track my cycle and my fertile days.  With what she taught me, I was able to get pregnant within two weeks of “trying”.  I now have a gorgeous and rowdy 14-month-old son, and I am still using the resources provided by Planned Parenthood staff to track my cycle and plan my next pregnancy.

——

What an amazing story! Thank you so much for sharing!

(Take Charge is Washington’s Medicaid family planning program. I didn’t know there were different names, so I’m sure someone else out there didn’t, either.)

dreadful-record-of-sin:

bebinn:

Anti-choicers have been running a campaign to force prochoicetruth off Tumblr. They found their name, the school they attend, and the year they’re in. Prochoicetruth has also been receiving horrific rape and death threats, and have decided to take a break from Tumblr.

The harassment and threats are supported by oh-snap-pro-lifers and, I would expect, by a number of other anti-choice bloggers as well.

So next time an anti-choicer whines about getting insults or cursing in their inbox, remember that you don’t even have to work at a clinic to have your life put in danger by anti-choice terrorists.

So hey, where’s the outrage and explosion of support for prochoicetruth?

I’ve been wondering the same thing. It would be lovely for their inbox to be flooded with messages of support when/if they return to blog full-time.

Again, I’d reeeeally rather people reblog my post on positive steps the pro-choice community can take to increase access to safe, legal abortion, or my post on resources for low-income parents. That’s where we should be spending our energy, not through impotent rage at one insignificant blogger.

advocateforlife-deactivated2012 asked: Saw your post about getting pregnant women the help they need in order to parent their child instead of feeling like they have to have an abortion - I found the best source of resources are pregnancy resource centers. Sadly, many who are pro-choice loathe such places and would rather see them shut down. Yes, they're faith based, but all faiths are welcomed. And yes, they're against abortion, but if the woman has decided to keep here baby, well, that shouldn't even be a problem.

I know there are many pregnancy centers out there that do a lot of good, but I don’t know how to tell from their websites which ones don’t practice the things CPCs are infamous for (including coercive adoption, which is a problem for people who’ve decided to give birth). I’m not willing to recommend undecided people visit places that will, intentionally or not, make them feel they must carry out a pregnancy. It’s perfectly fine if centers don’t refer to abortion services, but again, there’s no way to tell simply by looking at their websites how they deal with the topic. The pro-choice community would like to see the lies, manipulation, blackmail, and harassment stop - not to see pregnant people go without help.

As an aside, I’ve seen a number of CPCs and Christian shelters that require clients attend Bible study, which doesn’t seem welcoming of all faiths.

If only I had all the resources in the world to send people to check them all out! If I’m going to list any, it’ll be with a personal reference from a reliable source who hasn’t had any of the above listed issues with a center.

It seems to be incredibly easy to find CPCs as well, so I’m more interested in either finding centers that are decidedly pro-choice, or programs that just deal with parenting/soon-to-be parents, not pregnancy options. There will be an option of pregnancy resource centers mentioned in the post, but it will come with a warning.

Help for low-income parents?

I know of a lot of resources to help people access safe, legal abortion, but I’d like to find more for low-income parents or soon-to-be parents. One of the most commonly listed reasons for getting an abortion is financial strain. Someone who truly wants to be a parent deserves all the help they need. If anyone has any information on the following, whether it’s national, state, or local, and especially if it’s trans* friendly, please reblog or message me!

Financial assistance/providers for:

• Prenatal and postnatal care (including ultrasounds)
• Birth and alternative birthing options (homebirth, birthing centers, midwives, doulas, etc.)
• Infant care
• Baby items
• Child care for working/student parents
• Food
• Rent/utilities

Other:

• Parenting advice and support groups
• Home ec. and other practical classes (online or not)
• Resources for people in domestic violence situations
• Counseling and support for victims of abuse (pregnancy and birth can be triggers)
• Crisis pregnancy centers/pregnancy resource centers that provide nonjudgmental, no-strings-attached services
• Any other needs I’ve forgotten

Nergh

I want to state up front that I am all for calling people out and spreading awareness about the disgusting things anti-choicers do to intimidate people they disagree with. It is extremely important to showcase all facets of their movement - I mean all facets, from providing support to pregnant people who want to carry out their pregnancy, to bombing abortion clinics. I want people to have a good understanding of what they support, and what they support comes with a side of terrorism.

HOWEVER

I’m extremely disappointed every time I see a post such as this take off, while posts about positive ways we can contribute to the pro-choice movement and to reproductive rights in general stay in the single or double digits. There is such a strong pro-choice community on Tumblr, and we can do so much good. I know we can, because 110 people have contacted the Abortion Assistance Blog, offering to give strangers rides to the clinic, a place to recover or sleep for the night, babysitting during the appointment, funds, and moral support.

110 different people from 43 states and 6 Canadian provinces in just a month and a half. How amazing and beautiful is that? This is what the pro-choice community can accomplish. We share our stories on each other’s blogs, we support each other through hard times, and we send our love to anyone who needs it, no matter what decision they make.

By all means, don’t let anti-choicers get away with harassing and terrorizing innocent people. Show people just what they’re capable of. But show people what we’re capable of, too.