Many of you undoubtedly saw Jennifer Baumgardner and Gillian Aldrich's awesome documentary film, Speak Out: I Had an Abortion. I am a huge fan and have written about it in the past.
Well, now Jen has taken her radical work from the screen to the page, with lots of additional analysis and framing. Abortion & Life, written by Jen and containing gorgeous photographs by Tara Todras-Whitehill, just came out on Akashic Books. In it, Jen sets the scene of the contemporary abortion debate, not just between pro-lifers and pro-choicers, but between feminists of different generations and perspectives, women and men, mothers and daughters, and all of the other complex subgroups that struggle with the abortion issue ever day. As she writes, "The majority of Americans don't want abortion to be recriminalized but are uncomfortable talking about and even facing the realities of the procedure."
Jen soothes that discomfort with personal stories--stories that are as diverse as women's abortion experiences, all inciting empathy and a more nuanced understanding of the ways in which reproductive justice policy influences every day lives. But she does even more than that here; she also gives a brand new frame within which we can understand these stories. She authors a thorough history of abortion rights and then she writes honestly and entertainingly about the reoccurring question: "Can you be a feminist and prolife?" She also flips the old scripts, tracing the recent rise of the provoice movement where women's authentic experiences, not just their political ideologies, are brought to bear on the future of the movement.
Add to all of this a vast resource guide and a reprint of Rebecca Hyman's fantastic Bitch Mag article on the topic, and you've got yourself one of the most innovative, contemporary, and inclusive conversations about abortion that exists today, right on the page. I leave you with Jen's own words:
Some of what I write might be seen as turning away from the radical history of abortion rights in search of a compromised "middle ground." But I would argue, however, that the cornerstones of a new feminist theory of abortion rights will be created by those whom unplanned pregnancy most urgently affects--women born post-Roe. Still, as in the past, abortion is a part of life--just as sex and death are.
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I am so in love with Jennifer Baumgardner... I can't wait for this book, I just added it to my cart at Amazon.ca!
I saw Jennifer talking about this book on C-SPAN on Saturday night (wow, I'm a nerd), and I can't wait to get it. What I love most about this book (even though I haven't read it yet) is that Jennifer is willing to have what are for some very difficult conversations around this topic while remain totally and unapologetically pro-choice.
Do you know if there is a way to see her film without paying $90 to rent it? I would love to see it.
I wanted to link to the site but was unable to. Any help out there?
I think that abortion should stay legal but I think that our men should have some say in the process too. After all if we as women decide to have the baby, he will no doubt have the responsibility forced upon him as it should be. But a child is both a woman's and a man's and I just think both people should have rights in the decision making process?
jennyolsen,
If a man has a decision whether or not she has an abortion, then that overrides the decision of the woman. The man decides whether or not he wants to shoulder the burden of as baby when he has sex.No woman should be forced to have or not have a baby based on the mans decision. As our country is a pro-choice one, the man should know that if an accidental pregnancy happens, then by law he has to support it (only financially). He shouldnt have sex if he wants a say in it and if its so important to him. Unless he knows for sure that hes 100% infertile, then he should know its up to the woman to decide what to do if she becomes pregnant. What youre proposing is an MRA "argument." If you didnt know that, you could quit talking like one, however if you are, then fuck off. Also, if you are an MRA, I hardly doubt youre a female as the name jenny would have you believe.
Summary:
You cant have it both ways. If you have men decide whether or not a woman should have an abortion, you take away her right to decide for herself what happens to her body. Pregnancy shouldnt be forced onto a woman.
I think you guys misunderstood me. My point was for BOTH to have a say in it. Not unilaterally one or the other. I just think that it would be nice for women and men to decide together about bringing another life into this world.
Gopher, "then fuck off. Also, if you are an MRA, I hardly doubt youre a female as the name jenny would have you believe." thats pretty harsh. I'm sorry if I offended you.
@jennyolson: It's a nice thought. However, there is an inherent, unchangeable inequality in the way pregnancy and childbirth occur. That is, the woman is the one who has to deal with all the symptoms, the weight gain, and the health risks. She is the one who donates her body and organs to the development of the child. She is the one whose body will face the trauma of giving birth. Don't forget that even today, women can still die or develop lifelong health problems stemming from pregnancy/childbirth. And even in most progressive societies, there is still a cultural expectation that she will provide the majority of childcare. Men take on no such risks and have a much easier time walking away if the idea of parenting doesn't suit them. In some areas, they can terminate parental rights and be off the hook for child support.
Even in states where this is not possible, the amount of money he will pay for the child's upkeep is nothing compared to the investment of time and resources the mother will make, and "deadbeat dads" remain very difficult to pursue. No solution will ever be completely fair to both sexes, but in light of all these things, the most fair solution is to leave the final say in the hands of the woman.
Also keep in mind that not all women are in loving, stable relationships with partners who have their best interests in mind. A man might try to block his partner's access to an abortion as a means to control her or punish her. Or she might not know him well at all, and be afraid of how he might react. Incidents of intimate partner violence are known to escalate when the woman becomes pregnant. In an ideal, healthy relationship, I certainly feel that it's a good idea to keep the guy clued in, as a courtesy, and to listen to whatever he has to say. But, ultimately it still needs to be her decision.
I think you guys misunderstood me. My point was for BOTH to have a say in it. Not unilaterally one or the other. I just think that it would be nice for women and men to decide together about bringing another life into this world.
If both have a say, how does that not take away the woman's ability to decide what happens to her body? If she wants one and he says no, does she still get to have one? If she doesn't want one and he says yes, is the abortion forced on her? Unless you're saying the man can voice his opinion, but it carries no legal weight, which is pretty much where things stand now.
Men get to decide if they want to risk pregnancy during sex. Female biology affords woman an additional choice, but also loads more responsibility.
If people want to see the film and don't have the $$, contact me directly through the soapbox site (jenandamy@soapboxinc.com)
THANKS!
I disagree I think the only choice should be the womens since it is her body and the man isn't going to be pregnant for nine months. I think you should hear out the mans side but at the end of the day it is the womens choice.
NicoleGallo, did you read TheGecko's comment? I think she summed it up excellently.
Hmm. I'm suspicious. Jennyolson's comment sounds a lot like what frat4437 wrote before she/he started spamming all the boards with his anti-Samhita rage and it's actually quite similar to bobbigrl as well. The language use of "us ladies" and "our men" and the whole argument just strikes me as oddly similar. Regardless, yeah, what thegecko and Allie said.
Jennyolson:
"I think that abortion should stay legal but I think that our men should have some say in the process too. After all if we as women decide to have the baby, he will no doubt have the responsibility forced upon him as it should be. But a child is both a woman's and a man's and I just think both people should have rights in the decision making process?"
frat4437 from The Zygote Vote:
"I'm all for abortion but I think that a man should have some say in it too ladies.
Too often, we as women exact too much dominion over this situation and that is shameful and selfish. A baby is both a man's and a woman's and we shouldn't forget that. Right now the place we put our men in is, "well if I decide to carry it to term, you must support it, unless I decide not to, in that case, too bad- no matter what you feeling or concerns are.
Ladies, we need to include our men who love us into the decision making process and give them some rights, after all it takes two to make a baby, not one, and it is wrong and for us to think we should have complete control. Lets stop alienating our men, remember woman need men just like men need women."
bobbigrl from Remote Control:
"I think us ladies should be careful what we wish for.
A lot of women these days selfishly covet the power and control that birth control gives them over a man and over the situation. If male birth control becomes a reality, we wont have complete control or power over the birthing process. Oh, no. (*the sound of millions of women's hearts breaking all across the nation*)."
--fatsweatybetty
You have articulated and given excellent examples to support a thought which crossed my mind as well. While reading the various threads over the last few days I too was struck by the similarity of certain posts, and wondered if it was the same person using a number of identities.
--thegecko Fantastic response. You took the words right out of my mouth...
I think the ideal would be for men to be able to say they don't want the woman to get an abortion, but then legally have to pay for everything to do with the pregnancy. This includes compensation for time taken off work as a result of the pregnancy, medical bills, extra food costs, etc. The man would get full legal custody of the child as soon as it is out of the womb.
Of course this isn't at all realistic, as if it were reality it would be abused by many women who need/want money in exchange for a baby. But a girl can dream of what-ifs, eh?
I am very conflicted when it comes to abortion and parenting rights. I agree with fatsweatybetty and Ms Jones.
Femisnists tend to forget that it takes two to get pregnant not just one.
The argument "well if he didn't want to support a baby then he shouldn't have had sex" holds no weight because then the women shouldn't have had sex either and this is the same argument pro-life people use all the time. Part of me believes that if a man doesn't want a baby and the woman decides to keep the baby then he shouldn't have to support the child but then again I don't want hundreds of fatherless children out there by men who said "I never wanted a child".