You're the Only One I've Told: The Stories Behind Abortion

by Meera Shah

“There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives.” —AUDRE LORDE

By sharing the nuances of culture, history, and values, people and ideas are united through their stories. Even if an individual can’t identify with another’s exact experience, there is usually some component of the story, even as small as the fleeting, universal emotions of fear or happiness, that can be shared and appreciated.

There is no such thing as a good abortion or bad abortion or someone who is worthy of an abortion or someone who is not.

An abortion does not define someone; it is one event in a person’s life.

“It’s great for a man to be an ally on ‘women’s issues’ or to women collectively. But an ally can walk away when the going gets tough, because it’s not really ‘your issue’ or your identity. What men need to realize is they are actual stakeholders. Government forced childbearing will mean that you will be a father against your will and the woman you love will be put through pregnancy and motherhood against her will.”

Some states provide fake health centers with taxpayer dollars (approximately fourteen states currently).3 In North Carolina, for example, revenue from “Choose Life” license plates is given to fake health centers. In 2019, Ohio allotted $7.5 million over the next two years for its Ohio Parenting and Pregnancy Program, a program that funds several fake health centers in the state.4