On the Offense
by Kate Kelly (she/they)
The Reproductive Rights Movement has been on the defense for quite some time now. Most of our efforts and resources have gone to myth-busting, re-education, and explaining that “no we aren’t,” “that’s not what this is,” and “that’s not what we do.” But coming around the bend, it seems that reproductive rights are beginning to take an offensive position in the political arena. The work we put in to defend the movement from external forces cannot be counted as the same work people need to do in self-reflection and looking inwards of a movement. To take an effective and sustainable offensive approach demands an intentional learning process to acknowledge and dismantle the prominent history and continued presence of white supremacy, ableism, transphobia, classism, and other products of colonialism that reproductive politics carries with it.
We have a responsibility, as advocates of reproductive rights, to be intentional in our rhetoric and our work to not reproduce or strengthen systems of oppression and violence. Part of the learning process of being on the offense is learning not to erase trans, non-binary, disabled, and BIPOC experiences within abortion. Especially when the US and its institutions have actively worked to erase and oppress folks that hold these identities, an inclusive, representative, sustainable, and equitable offensive stance may not happen without effort when the movement decides to take action. We cannot just center upper and middle class, cis, able-bodied, white women in abortion politics and reproductive rights.
As a white, cis, female-presenting, able-bodied individual working in reproductive rights, it is my responsibility to not reproduce systems of oppression and marginalization when I advocate for reproductive rights issues, such as abortion access. I move forward working to learn about and challenge my inherent biases and assumptions that come with being socialized in a colonial culture. It is relevant in every aspect of how I apply myself to this cause: My actions, my words, my agenda, my efforts, energies, and resources all need to be crafted with intention. And it is obviously something I am continually learning how to do. There are times I jump into conversation or action with the understanding that my experience is widely shared, but there are also the times I step back, reflect on those experiences and work to do better. Saying “I don’t get it” though, is not an option. If you don’t get it, how are you going to change that? We have this misunderstanding that one person is supposed to have the correct answers to everything. You can acknowledge you don’t know, but you can’t perpetually sit in the space of not knowing.
I call to all of those invested in reproductive rights to look inside yourself and truly analyze your position in the movement. How are you working to inform and shape your understanding of the necessity and value of reproductive rights? How are you intentionally working to de-center mainstream perspectives and re-center marginalized communities as the core of the reproductive rights agenda? How are you holding yourself and your peers accountable towards creating an equal, equitable, and sustainable approach towards investing in reproductive rights for folks?
