By Tori Zucco, Summer 2023 Power in Place Collaborator
Image from: Miki Jourdan
Around one in four women will have an abortion in their lifetime. That could include family members, friends, neighbors, and even politicians. There are seven incredibly brave American elected officials that have publicly spoken about their experiences with abortion. Here are their stories.
In 2011, Representative Jackie Speier stood on the House floor, prepared to speak in opposition to a proposal that would defund Planned Parenthood. She had just listened to another representative describe abortion as a procedure that sawed the limbs off of babies. Upset by the horrific misinformation spread by this representative, she decided to share her own story. She had had an abortion. During her second pregnancy, the fetus fell from her cervix into her vagina. Doctors tried to help it navigate back into the cervix, but their efforts were unsuccessful. Speier then chose to have an abortion. She had been 17 weeks pregnant with a very wanted child, and she grieved its loss heavily. However, she knew that it was “not meant to be.” She had not planned to share her story that day, but when she did, she became the first sitting lawmaker to publicly share their experience with abortion.
Two other elected officials – Representative Pramila Jayapal and Representative Barbara Lee – have spoken about feeling inspired by Rep. Speier. They admired her courage and shared their own stories sometime later. Like Speier, Representative Jayapal had an abortion during her second pregnancy. Her first pregnancy came with many complications: her child was born premature and incredibly underweight, leaving them in the NICU for several months. On top of her child’s health issues, Jayapal experienced postpartum depression. Knowing that she would be unable to handle another pregnancy, she became incredibly strict with her birth control. However, she wound up pregnant for a second time. She was told by doctors that there was no guarantee this pregnancy would be smoother than the first, so she decided to have an abortion. She knew she wasn’t equipped to have another eventful pregnancy, so she felt it was the best decision for her.
Representative Barbara Lee’s story is unique in that she had her abortion before the procedure was federally protected by Roe v. Wade. She spoke about having no comprehensive sex education at school, which is how she wound up pregnant in high school. Her mother was her biggest support system through this process. Living in San Fernando, California, she traveled to El Paso, Texas to meet a friend of her mom’s, who traveled with her to Juárez, Mexico for her abortion. Though the inside of the clinic seemed professional, she quite literally had to go through a back alley to get there. Many aspects of the experience were terrifying. She was scared, both of the potential danger of the procedure and the legal consequences she would face if she were to be caught. Fortunately, she was safe on both fronts. Lee spoke about her abortion for the first time in September 2021.
Representative Gwen Moore also had an abortion pre-Roe. Like Lee, she said she had very little sex education and said that “getting pregnant was kind of easier than almost anything I’ve ever done.” She had her first child at the age of 18. Although she had an incredible support system, she had to completely restructure her life to care for her child. Moore got pregnant again a year later and did not want to strain her safety net, so she sought an abortion. Through Planned Parenthood, Moore got connected with the Women’s Fund. They were able to fly her from Miluakee to New York City, where she was able to have a legal abortion. She was “desperate” for an abortion and said that had she not had the ability to fly to New York, she likely would’ve attempted potentially dangerous home remedies. She was content with her decision and went on to have another child 8 years later. As a low income Black woman, she was motivated to tell her story as public conversations sparked about the specific consequences of overturning Roe on women of color.
Representative Marie Newman was unprepared to be a parent when she got pregnant for the first time. At 19 years old, she was a college student with an internship and two jobs. Deciding what to do with her pregnancy was one of the most difficult decisions of her life. She made a pros and cons list and came to the conclusion that she did not have the financial stability, emotional strength, or frankly the time to have a child. So, she decided to have an abortion. Since she grew up Catholic, Newman felt a great deal of shame about her decision. She kept her procedure a secret from everyone in her life for nearly 20 years. She bravely went public with her story last summer after the Supreme Court’s draft ruling that aimed to overturn Roe leaked.
Senator Cori Bush became pregnant after she was raped at 17. Her decision to have an abortion was an act of self-care. She was not mentally ready to take care of anyone other than herself. The process of making an abortion appointment was simple – she opened up the Yellow Pages and called a clinic. The abortion itself, however, was not as stress-free. While sitting in the clinic’s waiting room, she overheard staff shaming another young Black girl for being promiscuous. During her appointment, healthcare providers told her that she would’ve been on welfare if she didn’t have the abortion and did not educate her on other potential options. Bush spoke about her experiences for the first time at a House Oversight Meeting about abortion rights in September 2021.
Senator Gary Peters – the only man on this list – is open about his ex-wife’s abortion. Like Representative Speier, this pregnancy was a wanted one. However, around the end of the second trimester, his ex-wife’s water broke. They sought medical care but her doctor sent her home and told them she would miscarry that night. The doctor was unable to perform an abortion without the hospital board’s approval due to the fetus’ heartbeat still being faintly detectable. She did not end up miscarrying and they returned to the hospital the next day, where she was once again sent home. On the third day without a miscarriage, the doctor requested permission from the hospital board to perform an abortion. This request was denied. Peters and his ex-wife quickly sought care from a different hospital, where she was immediately taken in for an abortion. They were told that her uterus – and potentially her life – would’ve been in danger had they waited any longer. Senator Peters shared this story for the first time in 2020 after the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Abortion is deeply personal. To talk about it publicly takes great strength. But, to know that there are people in the government with a personal stake in fighting for abortion rights can bring hope in a time when things seem bleak.
References
[1] Wells, Dylan. “Seven members of Congress, seven personal stories of abortion as Roe v. Wade hangs in balance.” Gary Peters: U.S. Senator for Michigan. June 21, 2022. https://www.peters.senate.gov/newsroom/in-the-news/seven-members-of-congress-seven-personal-stories-of-abortion-as-roe-v-wade-hangs-in-balance
[2] Feller, Madison and Minutaglio, Rose. “Our Abortion Stories.” Elle. June 24, 2022. https://www.elle.com/culture/career-politics/a39375910/congress-members-share-personal-abortion-stories-interview/
Tori Zucco is a rising senior at Wheaton College Massachusetts majoring in Sociology with a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies. She is interested in social justice, reproductive justice, and writing. On campus, Tori works as a Peer Writing Tutor.