This is Megan-who-comments-here. She's away from the internet for a couple of days, but asked me to post the article when it came out.
Thanks for posting; I'd been wondering if that was published.
This is grim:
'Well, I'll call around, but you should know that (in California,) you don't have any choices.'
The ending, with her third pregnancy is very touching. Thanks to Megan for doing this.
Bravo to Megan for doing this. I hope the blowback isn't too bad. There's so much everyday courage from people to admire... I really am personally frightened of the anti-abortion zealots, and I wish I were better at just holding them in contempt. There's an almost supernatural creepiness to the movement.
It's seriously brave to do this so publicly, and important for stories like these to be told. Huge admiration for Megan.
Thanks, Megan. This kind of article makes a difference.
Joining those applauding Megan's courage in offering this necessary story.
In the late 1950s, my anti-abortion mother lost a hydrocephalic child. I never got a lot of details, but I do know that my mother sought and received approval from her Catholic priest to end the pregnancy.
I don't think my mother thought of this as an abortion. She certainly never used the term.
I'm grateful to Megan for sharing her story.
That is a powerful and moving article. Thank you Megan for sharing that part of your life. I hope that it being in the Sac Bee it will have some effect on legislators or their staffers.
Fuck those fuckers.
Hugs and love to Megan.
Again, fuck those fuckers fucking with situations like hers.
The next move for the fuckers is to try to criminalize (and create civil liability) for abortions providers (and all who help them) who assist those people who leave their state and come to ours. aka criminalizing those in Va who help someone from Texas.
Thank you for this, Megan. +1 for public stories like this with a name attached being important.
huge bravery megan - so many thanks!
everyone - please boost & share this story far & wide, & if you are a californian *hassle your state legislators* - let's not leave any of megan's tremendous bravery on the table!!!
Hey. Am back now. Have not read the story. Might not for a while. I mean, I know what's in it.
I had planned a week-long camping trip before ever contacting the Bee about the story. I was very much hoping the story would come out at the beginning of the trip and all the hubbub would happen and I'd be away from the internet and not be able to obsessively follow The Takes. But I guess they released it this morning, about the time we got in the car to come back, and now I know what I'll be doing with my weekend.
Am sort of scared of real-life blowback. But my other recent experience is that nothing ever matters and any advocacy I try to do sinks like a stone and nothing ever happens. Maybe that'll also be true of this.
I also don't particularly want to have to do abortion advocacy. I'm well-positioned for it, but it doesn't interest me as much as bicycle advocacy or other work. Now it is all stupid and necessary.
15: You have done your share now. This article is a huge and important contribution to help people see how it impacts people's real lives. There is no need for you to do any more to be the face of this issue. Big hugs and bicycle horn beeps.
Thank you Megan. I don't think I was around when this happened, so I had no idea, and I am sorry you had to go through that.
Jeez, Megan, what a nightmare that was. I'm so sorry. I remember you going through all that - except without knowing it was you - and the extra abortion obstacles on top of the grief is just so much to bear. But like everyone else here, it's so good that you are okay publicizing your story.
Also: This unfolded 2012-2014?! The last decade has been such a weird blur. When it said "ten years" at the top of the story, I thought for sure it was referencing some older pregnancy that I didn't know about.
I'll follow up if there are any opportunities. There's a storytelling thing in SF that I'll do again (Beyond the A Word: Reproductive Life Stories (TEACH's 6th annual storytelling event and fundraiser) in San Francisco on Sat, August 20th at 6pm.). If y'all want to get drinks after...
I keep trying to have an impact somewhere on something, so I'll follow any leverage I have. But this isn't really the advocacy that I'd like to do. I prefer stuff with more technical and policy content. My end of this is just emotional. Which is fine; I don't especially want to learn the medicine/legal end of this.
Really awesome of you to do that Megan. Did you write an Op-Ed too?
I submitted the Op-Ed and they wrote back that they'd rather report a story on the issue. So that's how this came about.
That was very brave and much needed. Kudos to Megan.
Thank you so much, Megan, for bringing attention to this via your own unimaginably hard experiences.
This is the kind of story that turned the tide in Ireland. Thank you for standing up, Megan, even though it should not be necessary.
Oh, Megan - so brave, and so needed. Love to you.
Megan, that's really a story that needed telling. Thanks you.
I read the article first, and then watched the video portion. It is so much more affecting to hear you talk about it.
I read the article first, and then watched the video portion. It is so much more affecting to hear you talk about it.
Thank you so much for doing this.
I haven't watched it, but it is funny to me that I'm opining on such serious abstract things when you guys know that I'm mostly just practical and would prefer to joke around. When he wasn't filming me, the photographer and I were discussing that chickens lead to rats and his dog is a good ratter.
But I'll do any advocacy I can these days. I opted for this one because it is a specific target (get rid of the 24week limit in CA) and the moment seems good. I'm hoping this will lead to addressing the Future of Abortion policy group in Sac or testifying or something. I would not have done it without a specific target or for a vague pro-abortion stance.
Please keep us posted on what we can do to support you in getting the 24 week limit changed in CA (I'm in CA).
Joining the kudos and thanks for Megan.
This is extraordinary, and so important. Thank you.
Huh: the CA legislature just approved by a 2/3 margin a constitutional amendment protecting abortion and contraception, for the voters to approve in November (needs 50%+1).
I just took a look at its text - it's written so broadly I wonder if it would effectively end the current 24-week ban!
The state shall not deny or interfere with an individual's reproductive freedom in their most intimate decisions, which includes their fundamental right to choose to have an abortion and their fundamental right to choose or refuse contraceptives. This section is intended to further the constitutional right to privacy guaranteed by Section 1, and the constitutional right to not be denied equal protection guaranteed by Section 7. Nothing herein narrows or limits the right to privacy or equal protection.
The Legislative Counsel's Digest above it even notes "Existing law... prohibits the state from denying or interfering with a person's right to choose or obtain an abortion before viability of the fetus, or when the abortion is necessary to protect the life or health of the person," (emph. added), then summarizes the constitutional amendment without such qualification. The contrast seems evident.
Thank you, Megan. I've heard bits and pieces of your story over the years here, but hearing you tell it all is so powerful. If I can join you and the group in SF for the fundraiser and drinks, I'd like to.
Agreed with Blume that the video is really powerful. Thanks for telling your story, Megan. That said, it's complete and total bullshit that women have to turn themselves inside out to beg for standard health care. The only analogies I can think of are advocacy groups for breast cancer (back when) and AIDS, and in those cases, it was that they were advocating for research into treatments where none existed. Maybe AZT access is a closer analogy. (Banned!) At any rate, it's awful, and I hate that folks have to put their pain on display in order to win hearts and minds,
OK, maybe not: Washington Post has this paragraph:
Republican Assembly Leader James Gallagher... argued in a floor speech before the vote that the proposed amendment does not put restrictions on late-term abortions, an assertion the bill's supporters pushed back on, saying it doesn't change current state law on fetal viability.
But it seems at least worth testing in court if approved.
And even if the 24-week law stays in place, the amendment language might at least give doctors more confidence to use their own judgment on what they can perform after that point. But I'm still going to nag my state legislators about this.
40: Don't know that it'll be a group, but we can certainly announce it. Aug 6th. Somewhere. Last time I did it, one of the storytellers gave a graphic and relentless description of FGM and my friend fainted.
I was following the legislation on Twitter and also think they left it vague on purpose. I actually don't know where I can do additional advocacy. It feels a little bit like the story sank like a stone. (Which is partially how I decided to tell it. 'Eh', I thought. 'It might go nowhere.') Well, we'll find out.
Do you guys know whether I can search twitter for tweets that link to the story? I looked through Advanced Search but don't see it.
I think you can paste the URL of the story into the search bar and search that way. You may have to try it with and without various http www accoutrements.
I've tried but it shortens to something unique each time.
I can find a few tweets by searching the title of the piece. Thanks for boosting it, you guys.
Thank you so much for sharing your story, Megan.
Thank you, Megan. I shared the article with some friends and while that did not lead it to go viral (surprise!), they did reply to say they appreciated your willingness to share your experience publicly.
My little nudge: https://twitter.com/DavidEDaveWall1/status/1542099430794334208