Recapping the Arizona Prop 139 rally
Last week I joined SPL supporters to rally in Phoenix against Prop 139.
Arizona already allows elective abortion until 15 weeks, but apparently that’s not enough for abortion advocates. They’re fighting for the “right” to abort viable children. It’s grotesque extremism, and we had some thoughts we wanted to share.
Before the rally even began, press interviewed me twice. One reporter was from the Netherlands (!) and he translated all my answers into Dutch as we went, which was just cool to listen to. In both cases they asked me about later abortion. SPL has done a lot of work educating people on later abortion, and I felt very in my element speaking to reporters.
We all have our experiences that brought us here.
We’re very grateful to everyone who joined us for this event, and especially for our speakers. This is only a partial list:
- Mayra Rodriguez spoke about her experience in Arizona as a former Planned Parenthood director in a poorly regulated clinic.
- Terrisa Bukovinac spoke about her experience recovering the bodies of babies who were victims of later abortion in Washington DC.
- Guyana Kupper spoke about how doctors recommended her mother abort her when they learned Guyana has spina bifida. Her mother refused. “Babies with disabilities like me still deserve to live.”
- Crystal Kupper spoke about her experience later adopting Guyana from Armenia.
I also got to speak, briefly, about my (undercover) abortion appointment at a Washington DC clinic when I was 28 weeks pregnant.
We make space for each other.
One of my favorite parts of the rally was when I got to meet SPL supporter Ann Marie.
Ann told me she had long felt uncomfortable with abortion. She had conceived her daughter in the context of an abusive relationship, and her options regarding the pregnancy certainly crossed her mind. But Ann said she knew scientifically another human being was growing inside of her, and she felt strongly that after experiencing violence herself, she would not inflict it on someone else.
An agnostic and lifelong Democrat, Ann didn’t specifically focus on the abortion issue beyond her individual experience with unintended pregnancy. But then, several months ago, she attended a Kamala Harris rally. She was shocked to hear the rhetoric: instead of arguing abortion is undesirable but necessary, the Democrats were heralding it, with no limits mentioned. Ann left the Harris rally with new eyes.
Since then she’s been trying to find space where she fits in. She’s started speaking up about her concerns over abortion, and it’s cost her several friendships. Meanwhile she applied to learn to sidewalk counsel through a local PRC, but they declined to work with her because she isn’t a Christian. Ann felt profoundly lonely.
And then she found us.
At Secular Pro-Life, we don’t care if you are Republican or Democrat or Christian or agnostic or whatever you are. We care if you oppose abortion. We care if you’re ready to say or do something about it. If so, you’re our people.
Ann felt at home with SPL, which is why she drove over an hour to join us in triple degree heat brandishing her “liberal agnostic pro-life feminist” sign (and she very thoughtfully brought me a cold Diet Coke!) We’re delighted to have her.
Thanks so much to those of you who helped cover much of the costs to make this trip happen. Overall flights, hotel room, ground transportation, and meals totaled $980, and support raising in advance covered 65% of trip expenses ($640), leaving about $340 as yet not covered. If you’re able to help with this in any portion, please donate here.
Thank you for being in our corner,
Monica
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