10 Ways to Get Involved in Abortion Advocacy
After the SCOTUS leak last week, I was asked what sorts of actions “ordinary people” can take to advocate for abortion access, beyond doom-scrolling or screaming into the void. As someone who has been volunteering at an abortion clinic and for an abortion fund for over six years, I’m typically the person my friends, family members, and colleagues turn to when they want information on anything abortion-related.
Here are ten ways to get involved:
1. Read up on reproductive justice.
A good first step is to educate yourself about reproductive justice. Reproductive justice is a framework developed by women of color that advocates for:
the right to have children,
the right not to have children,
the right to parent children in a safe and sustainable way.
This framework emphasizes the importance of reproductive freedom for all. I recommend starting with Dorothy Roberts’s Killing the Black Body, Loretta Ross & Rickie Solinger’s Reproductive Justice: An Introduction, and the resources available through the Sister Song Collective.
2. Avoid gendered language when talking about abortion.
This one is super easy! Instead of “pregnant women,” just say “pregnant people.” That way your language doesn’t exclude trans and nonbinary individuals who need access to abortion care.
3. Spread the word about the importance of indie clinics.
When many people think about abortion access, they think of Planned Parenthood. What most people don’t realize is that Planned Parenthood only provides about one third of abortions in the US. Roughly three in five abortions in the U.S. take place at independent abortion clinics. These clinics don’t have nearly as much money, resources, or celebrity backing as Planned Parenthood. You can donate to (and learn more about) indie clinics.
4. Spread the word about crucial resources such as “I Need an A,” the Repro Legal Defense Fund, and the Brigid Alliance.
There are many organizations in addition to abortion funds that need donations and support. “I Need an A” is a resource indicating the closest abortion clinic to your zip code, as well as links to funds and other resources that will help cover the cost of the procedure:
Unfortunately, we live in a complete and utter hellscape where people sometimes literally serve jail time for ending their pregnancies. The Repro Legal Defense Fund offers assistance to individuals facing arrest or prosecution for self-managed abortion:
Many states already have such severe restrictions that people are forced to travel long distances to receive abortion care. Practical support groups like the Midwest Access Coalition, Fund Texas Choice, and the Brigid Alliance coordinate and fund travel such as airfare, bus fare, and hotel rooms, for patients to access care. In addition, many abortion funds provide and fund practical support.
Speaking of travel logistics…
5. Offer to host, drive, or accompany abortion patients.
Even during the first trimester, patients are often forced to travel quite far for their procedures, due to the national shortage of abortion providers. This might entail an overnight stay, particularly if the state they are traveling to has a mandatory “waiting period” between the counseling session and the abortion itself.
In addition to the groups mentioned above, there are other organizations, such as the Haven Coalition in NYC, that assist patients with accommodations and travel support. No need to strike out on your own or start an “auntie network.” Find a local clinic or mutual aid group that provides these services and offer to give a patient a ride to and from their appointment. You can also offer to host a patient on your couch or in your guest room.
6. Fundraise for abortion funds.
Abortion funds are mutual aid projects that assist patients in paying for their abortions. An average first-trimester abortion costs about $500. That’s a huge amount of money to come up with given the inherent time constraint involved. Donating to abortion funds is a powerful way to directly impact somebody’s life by ensuring they can receive the care they need and deserve. And what’s even better than donating to an abortion fund? Fundraising for one!
May is a great month to get involved in abortion fundraising, as it’s the month that the National Network of Abortion Funds hosts their annual Fund-a-Thon. Individuals and teams can raise money for their local abortion fund from now until the end of the month. Find your local fund.
7. Volunteer for an abortion fund.
Most abortion funds rely on a task force consisting mostly or even entirely of volunteers. Contact your local fund to see if they need additional case managers to coordinate funding and interface directly with patients seeking financial assistance. Or offer up your unique skill set in another way, such as social media, tech support, event planning, or outreach.
8. Volunteer as a clinic escort.
Anti-abortion protesters gather outside abortion clinics to harass patients and providers on their way inside. 62% of abortion clinics have reported frequent (weekly or even daily) protest activity. Clinic escorts walk with patients and clinic staff past the protesters and help them get safely into the clinic. Reach out to your local clinic to see if they might need escorts or are hosting a training anytime soon. You can find your local clinic(s) at www.ineedana.com.
9. Help dispel common myths about abortion.
There’s been a lot of misinformation floating around about abortion, abortion access, and abortion advocacy. I’ve seen viral tweets conflating Plan B (emergency contraception) with medication abortion (learn the difference). I’ve seen people advocating for counter-protesting outside abortion clinics (which any clinic escort will tell you is discouraged, as it only contributes further stress to an already stressful experience for patients). And so on and so forth. As someone juggling a hefty load of volunteer work already, it’s exhausting to constantly “correct” the misinformation floating around.
One common refrain I’ve been hearing over the past week is, “You can’t end abortion, only SAFE abortions.” The constant use of coathanger imagery gives the impression that criminalized abortions are by nature unsafe. But in 2022, self-managed abortion is actually a safe and effective way to end a pregnancy.
Something we can all do in the days and weeks to come: educate ourselves and people in our networks about self-managed abortion. A few resources include Plan C, Aid Access, and How to Use Abortion Pill.
10. Write postcards to abortion clinics.
Abortion clinics get a lot of hate mail. A fun and low-effort action item is writing a positive postcard or thank-you note to the doctors, nurses, administrators, and clinic escorts at your local abortion clinic. These individuals work so hard and in the current political climate it’s hard not to feel totally demoralized all the time. Getting a thoughtful or colorful piece of mail would make our day!
Did you find this helpful? OARS is a volunteer-driven organization dedicated to providing accurate information and facilitating access to abortion care. Donate to support our work.
