Abortion Parties

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Pearl

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On Facebook, Glamour magazine has a link to an article that discusses it becoming the norm for women planning to have an abortion through a party ahead of it. I found a link to the story, and here it is:

"What are you going to do?" Unnecessary question, really -- a conversational life vest, used when you’re sputtering for something to say. We knew the answer. Maggie, a 22-year-old college senior with no intention of bringing a child into the world yet, was going to have an abortion. She told us that she had already made up her mind; she had even determined the time, date and location. A better question might have been, "How are you going to pay for it?"

She answered that one before we had a chance to ask. "We’re having a party Friday to raise money," Maggie said. "You guys are obviously invited."

************************************************************
Ali and I arrived around 11, only half aware of the irony of being "late" to an abortion party. Walking in, we were bludgeoned with a blast of hot air, followed by the tangy stink of dance floor revelry. Someone had taken a red bed sheet and hung it below a light fixture to resemble a giant womb. Every so often, a dancer’s head or arm or dreadlock would brush against one of its smooth folds, creating a rippling effect. "Let’s Go Crazy" by Prince was playing.

My First Abortion Party | Reproductive Justice and Gender | AlterNet

Although the article -written by a guy - mostly discusses a guy's role in an abortion, I posted this because I am shocked that abortion parties actually exist. While I do support a woman's right to choose, throwing a party sounds disturbing to me. Why not just simply ask money from friends, and get it done - not basically celebrate something that, I believe, is a sad thing to go through.

What do you think?
 
this reminds me of the "Bug Chasers" article in Rolling Stone -- when the presence of a tiny handful of gay men who are actively seeking HIV infection -- men who represented a fringe-of-the-fringe and subculture-within-a-subculture -- are blown out of proportion to make it seem like this is common, when it isn't.

i've never heard of this. that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. it sounds like some consciously "subversive" (in a commodified sense) group is trying to be anti-establishment.

whatever. they can do what they want, and we can think it's in excessively poor taste.
 
On Facebook, Glamour magazine has a link to an article that discusses it becoming the norm for women planning to have an abortion through a party ahead of it.

Bullshit. If this was the norm Glamour wouldn't be writing about it.

Attention whores -- both the magazine and the people in the story.
 
Yes, this article is like some written about the latest alleged fashion in raising children. There is one or two parents who treat their children in a certain way and someone creates an article that makes it sound as if every second parent was like that. When in fact it might be 0.00001% of the total population.

It's disturbing that it exists. Just like it's disturbing that any form of extreme behaviour exists.
 
this reminds me of the "Bug Chasers" article in Rolling Stone -- when the presence of a tiny handful of gay men who are actively seeking HIV infection -- men who represented a fringe-of-the-fringe and subculture-within-a-subculture -- are blown out of proportion to make it seem like this is common, when it isn't.

i've never heard of this. that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. it sounds like some consciously "subversive" (in a commodified sense) group is trying to be anti-establishment.

whatever. they can do what they want, and we can think it's in excessively poor taste.

Yes, very probably, but really it's a sidetrack from the main issue here.

In other thread you said:-

i'm not going to allow you to feel like your choices have no consequences and that just because you find something pleasurable doesn't mean that there aren't enormous social repercussions.

Does the choice to abort have any consequences?
 
Bullshit. If this was the norm Glamour wouldn't be writing about it.

Attention whores -- both the magazine and the people in the story.

It was advertised as the "thing" to do :shrug:
 
Does the choice to abort have any consequences?


well, this seems like we're heading into an abortion thread when this thread is about a supposed "celebration" of an event ... but, does an abortion have any consequences?

yes. politically, i can't think of any other social issue that's as divisive, or that's been used by the Right to ride their way in and out of power.

does abortion have consequences on an individual level? i think that's up for each woman to decide.

is my life personally affected when someone has an abortion? i don't think so. certainly not in the same way that it's affected when someone is walking his dog 2 blocks from where i used to live and an anonymous person walked up to him and shot him in the head and didn't even bother to take his iPod.

NW Man Fatally Shot While Walking Dog
 
this reminds me of the "Bug Chasers" article in Rolling Stone -- when the presence of a tiny handful of gay men who are actively seeking HIV infection -- men who represented a fringe-of-the-fringe and subculture-within-a-subculture -- are blown out of proportion to make it seem like this is common, when it isn't.

i've never heard of this. that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. it sounds like some consciously "subversive" (in a commodified sense) group is trying to be anti-establishment.

whatever. they can do what they want, and we can think it's in excessively poor taste.

Bullshit. If this was the norm Glamour wouldn't be writing about it.

Attention whores -- both the magazine and the people in the story.

Exactly
 
I read that at these parties they have a (sheet) cake in the shape of a baby

before they let you cut off your piece, they make you put on a surgical mask.
 
I see nothing in either the Glamour article nor the original AlterNet article linked in the OP to indicate that this is "becoming a norm," or for that matter that the AlterNet article isn't a hoax. The Glamour story doesn't even get the AlterNet author's gender right (it's perfectly clear from the article), which says something about how much thought they put into it.
 
Even if its not becoming the norm, it is still is disturbing that its happening at all, whether one person did it or a hundred people did it.
 
Gee, great. Another reason for anti-choice folks to think that women just get abortions like we're changing our socks, without giving it a second thought.

:|
 
a forced eviction of an entire class of the poor, from their first home

these tenants have no money to give their landlords

they have no voice, to speak for their rights

there is no public defender appointed to speak for them
 
does abortion have consequences on an individual level? i think that's up for each woman to decide.

You've neatly avoiding mentioning problems with depression, etc, that many women have to deal with after abortions.
 
Being pregnant when you don't want to be is seldom the stuff of fairytale endings.
 
Surgery in general can bring about depression. I use to deal with patients that had depression due to a simple bunionectomy.
 
Gee, great. Another reason for anti-choice folks to think that women just get abortions like we're changing our socks, without giving it a second thought.

Nope. There are people on both sides of the issue who do things that make their side look bad.
 
Even if its not becoming the norm, it is still is disturbing that its happening at all, whether one person did it or a hundred people did it.

Why is one woman's choice to "celebrate" her abortion disturbing to you? Maybe it is worthy of celebration in her view, and there's nothing wrong with that. Would it make you feel better if she'd suffered for her decision? Was she not sufficiently repentant for your liking?

And if I remember correctly from skimming the article on Jezebel a few days ago, wasn't the main purpose of the party to ask for donations from friends to help pay for the abortion in the first place? Kind of sad that someone would have to resort to that, IMO.
 
You've neatly avoiding mentioning problems with depression, etc, that many women have to deal with after abortions.

And many women have problems with depression after giving birth too, often even if they wanted the baby. :shrug:
 
And many women have problems with depression after giving birth too, often even if they wanted the baby. :shrug:

True. All kinds of life decisions can lead (or not lead) to depression, depending on your attitude, your motivations for making the decision, etc. This is not unique to abortion.

A few years ago, I was horrified to hear an anti-abortion ad on a fairly large rock radio station in this area that directly linked abortion with increased suicide. I contacted the station manager and requested that he pull the ad. In our communications over several days, he first refused to. Subsequently, I explained to him that his station ought to feel responsibility for spreading false information to its listeners, particularly ones as vulnerable as those who are experiencing unwanted pregnancies. I suggested he challenge the organization to provide proof that abortion does in fact cause an increase in suicides, and explained to him what to look for as far as reputable sources go, as opposed to anti-abortion group propaganda. He said he'd get back to me, then within a day or two, he contacted me to let me know they were unable to come up with anything, and as a result, the ad was being pulled. I hope I was able to prevent at least one girl or woman from feeling emotionally bullied by the spread of false information.
 
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