For those who cannot read the book before the event, have no worry! We are framing this book talk as a fireside chat for members of our community to come together and think about the ways our thoughts on abortion have evolved over time.
In an era when abortion has been and continues to be on the ballot, we want our community to come together in the intimate space PLNTR is providing for us to discuss questions such as:
- When did your views about abortion begin to evolve? Have they changed over time?
- What does it mean to have abortion on the ballot?
- How do you navigate spaces where you might be one of few who believe in reproductive freedom?
- How do you make space for reproductive justice in your life?
More on the book (via Goodreads): At a time where reproductive rights are at risk, these vital stories of diverse individuals serve as a reminder of the importance of empathy, finding community and motivating advocacy.
For a long time, when people asked Dr. Meera Shah, Chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic, what she did, she would tell them she was a doctor and leave it at that. But when she started to be direct about her work as an abortion provider an interesting thing started to one by one, people would confide that they'd had an abortion themselves. The refrain was often the You're the only one I've told.
This book collects these stories as they've been told to Shah to humanize abortion and to combat myths that persist in the discourse that surrounds it. A wide range of ages, races, socioeconomic factors, and experiences shows that abortion always occurs in a unique context.
Today, a healthcare issue that's so precious and foundational to reproductive, social, and economic freedom for millions of people is exploited by politicians who lack understanding or compassion about the context in which abortion occurs. Stories have the power to break down stigmas and help us to empathize with those whose experiences are unlike our own.