Standing Up for Abortion on Demand and Without Apology

Washington, D.C.—On January 23, the day after the 39-year anniversary of the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion, more than 100 abortion rights supporters demonstrated at the Supreme Court in FAVOR of expanded access to abortion and birth control. At a time of unprecedented restrictions on women’s access to abortion and birth control, and in the face of tens of thousands of religious protesters who were “Marching for Life” (i.e., marching for forced motherhood), most of these abortion rights activists were young and all were defiant and unapologetic.

Groups of students from surrounding colleges (including Catholic University), activists with World Can’t Wait, a new effort to End Porn & Patriarchy, artists, and various members of women’s organizations boldly declared, “Abortion on Demand and Without Apology!” and “Forcing a woman to have a child against her will is a form of enslavement!”

Throughout the day, these supporters of abortion rights took turns speaking out—including unapologetically telling their own abortion stories, chanting, and getting into intense debates with many of the anti-abortion protesters. Young women and girls who had been brought by their anti-abortion parents or church groups listened intently to open explanations about women’s bodies and sexuality, other young March-for-Lifers were fiercely challenged to confront the horrors that are commanded in the Christian Bible, and thousands more had to confront the bold celebration of the positive morality of abortion and birth control.

Given the ongoing and escalating assault on women’s right to abortion and birth control, all this constitutes a very significant beginning that must go much further in reclaiming the moral high ground and relying on ourselves (not on the Democrats or the “pro-choice” groups that have subordinated themselves to the Democrats) to defeat the assault on abortion and birth control and gain ground in the fight for the full liberation of women. Many of those who turned out expressed interest in the protests that have been called for International Women’s Day to declare: “Women are not objects. Women are not things to be used for the sexual pleasure of men NOR are they breeders of children. WOMEN ARE HUMAN BEINGS CAPABLE OF FULL EQUALITY IN EVERY REALM!”

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