How The Great Abortion Debate Shaped My Feminism

By Leah Snyder

In the 19th century, conversations about the importance of abortion and contraception use were not uncommonly had by the public. Both men and women would facilitate public lectures to curious minds seeking to learn more about reproductive healthcare — including abortion. In the years since, discussion about reproductive rights, especially abortion, has been sequestered to the political realm. The politicization of abortion has contributed to the stigma surrounding it, and like other hot-button political issues, it has been deemed too scandalous for public conversation; even amongst close friends and family members. Both because of and in spite of this, the pro-choice and pro-abortion movements have utilized online spaces, particularly social media, in order to spark conversation. Like many other Gen Z folks, my first introduction to the Great Abortion Debate did not occur IRL, but on social media.

Born on the precipice of the millennium, my love affair with the internet began early. As an angst-riddled teen, I turned to social media to unleash my woes about life. In 2013, my social media of choice was Tumblr. This was the same year Texas Senator Wendy Davis held an 11-hour filibuster to defeat a restrictive abortion bill, Senate Bill 5. Stumbling upon this event unfolding in real time felt revolutionary. It also sparked some questions: why had I never heard anything about abortion before in my life? And why was it such a big deal?

My family never mentioned abortion in our house until I became a feminist. Although she would be reluctant to agree, I would argue that my mother is a feminist too. Throughout my life, she herself has subverted gender roles, and has always urged me to do the same. She instilled a sense of independence in her daughters that rivals traditional notions of womanhood. Yet I never knew that she was pro-choice until my sister became pregnant unexpectedly and she offered her the option of having an abortion if that was what she wanted. Even then, my mother did not venture into why she was pro-choice, or how that view worked with her Roman Catholic upbringing — not until I asked her.

My mother’s silence on her views is not surprising nor uncommon. There is a reason that these conversations are difficult to have, even with those we are close to. Despite the fact that 1 in 3 women will have an abortion in her lifetime, there continues to exist a dark looming cloud of stigma surrounding abortion in this country. I am hopeful, however, that this is slowly (but surely) changing because of the increasing accessibility to social media. These days, I still hear more about threats to abortion access on Tumblr and Twitter than in real life. At all times, more and more people are exposed to the ways in which reproductive rights are being curtailed all over the country. Most importantly, this has allowed many people like myself to begin a conversation with those we love about abortion. Although this may seem like a small thing, it is the first step in breaking the stigma around abortion.