Pro-Choice Feminism

My feminism will be intersectional or it will be bullshit.

For over 10 years, I have tried to stand on the crossroads – the intersection – of social justice movements and ally myself with activists from every marginalized group. I have focused my efforts on universal issues of health care access and gun violence prevention in the hopes that I could be part of a movement to improve the lives of everyone. I wrote and spoke and lobbied on these issues because I want to save lives. Male live and female lives. Black, brown, and white lives. Cis lives and trans lives. Lives of people who love in every way imaginable. I wanted to be a force for good for all of us.

My feminism will be intersectional or it will be bullshit.

Yesterday, Justice Anthony Kennedy announced that he would voluntarily walk away from his seat on the highest court in the land, leaving a vacancy to be filled by Donald Trump, with the advice and consent of a Senate GOP led by Mitch McConnell. These are men who have made no secret of their desire to marginalize everyone except themselves. They hoard power and wealth in plain sight and they would strip us of every right we have. They will strip us of workplace protections. They will strip us of voting rights. They will strip us of the right to clean air and clean water. They will strip us of our reproductive rights.

My feminism will be intersectional or it will be bullshit.

My feminism will be intersectional or…

Or.

Surgeon General Jocelyn Elder once said “If you can’t control your reproduction, you can’t control your life.” Justice Anthony Kennedy, in walking away from the Supreme Court, has left control of our reproduction and control of our lives in the hands of Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell. He has seen to it that we will lose the right to control our reproduction and we will lose the right to control our lives. He has handed that control to men who do not care about the welfare of women.

My feminism was intersectional.

My feminism can’t be intersectional anymore.

Before yesterday, I was granted the incredible privilege of speaking for the health and safety of others and I was honored to to be part of these diverse movements. Before yesterday, I was in a fight for other lives. Today, I have lost the luxury of fighting for other people. The only rights I can fight for now are my own.

My feminism is now the feminism of survival.

I am sorry. I wanted to do more. I wanted to be more to more people. But I have been betrayed by my government and all I can do now is fight for the most basic rights of bodily control for women.

For the right of my daughter to choose for herself.

My feminism was intersectional and someday I hope it will be again. Now my feminism is pro-choice.

I am a pro-choice feminist. I believe in abortion rights. I believe in contraception. I believe in sex education. I believe in universal access to healthcare, including abortion, contraception, obstetrical care, and pediatric care. I believe in social safety nets for parents in poverty. I believe in subsidized childcare and year-round schools to ensure the safety and welfare of children born through informed choice and consent.

My feminism is pro-choice feminism. My feminism is pro-woman. My feminism is pro-child.

My feminism is here to fight for reproductive justice.

Donate here to help women in need access abortions.