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Women Open Up About Their Abortion Stories With The Hashtag #YouKnowMe As Response To Alabama Abortion Law
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Multiple celebrities are using their platforms to protest the push for harsher abortion regulations in a handful of southern states. 'The Good Place' actress Jameela Jamil shared her abortion story in response to Georgia's newest law and now T.V personality Busy Philipps of 'Busy Tonight' has done the same - introducing the hashtag #YouKnowMe.
Philipps has been openly pro-choice and decided to first share the story of her abortion on her show after Georgia signed their "fetal heartbeat" bill into law. "The statistic is that one in four women will have an abortion before age 45. That statistic sometimes surprises people," she said to her audience, "and maybe you’re sitting there thinking, ‘I don’t know a woman who would have an abortion,’ well, you know me I had an abortion when I was 15 years old and I’m telling you this because I’m genuinely really scared for women and girls all over the country.”
The phrase 'you know me' struck a chord with her producer Tina Fey, who encouraged her to start the hashtag. Philipps told The New York Times,"She said, 'I think you hit on something, which is you know me,'" but admitted to the outlet she felt too "overwhelmed" to do it right after opening up about her story. After the Alabama Senate passed another restrictive abortion bill, effectively completely banning it, which has since been signed into law, she tweeted out against it and used #YouKnowMe. She encouraged women to use the hashtag to share their own abortion stories to "end the shame" that surrounds the procedure. Like the similar hashtag #ShoutYourAbortion, it quickly went viral.
Image credits: BusyPhilipps
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In 1973 Roe v Wade was passed by the Supreme Court to legalize abortion, but in 1992 they were faced with Casey v Planned Parenthood which is what ultimately gave individual states more control over how they regulated these abortions. According to the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive health research and policy organisation, the first quarter of 2019 saw at least 28 state legislatures introduce some form of abortion ban. So far seven states introduced restrictive abortion bans, with Alabama being the most recent.
that's not even either/or here... if she died the foetus would have, too...
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed the controversial abortion bill passed by The Alabama Senate passed the bill 25-6, that could punish doctors who perform abortions with a 99-year or lifetime prison sentence. The law does not allow exceptions for rape and incest, which even some religious supporters like Evangelical leader Pat Robertson said "has gone too far." The law only allows exceptions "to avoid a serious health risk to the unborn child's mother," for ectopic pregnancy and if the "unborn child has a lethal anomaly."
Georgia's governor Brian Kemp signed a "heartbeat bill", that bans abortion once a fetal heartbeat has been detected, which is possible as early as six weeks. Heartbeats can be detected before many women even know that they're pregnant. Unlike Alabama there are exceptions in the case of rape and incest if a police report has been filed. Other exceptions include if an abortion is essential to saving the mother's life or if the fetus is not viable due to a serious medical issue. The ACLU has plans to challenge this legislation.
May that strenght continue to be with you. Women MUST have the right to decide over their own bodies. Period.
Kentucky legislators have been going back and forth to pass abortion laws. The ACLU filed a lawsuit against a heartbeat law in the state and blocked it and earlier this month another judge struck down a 2018 abortion law that would have ended a common second-trimester abortion procedure known as“dilation and evacuation.” In response Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin’s administration has begun the appeal process of this 2018 ruling and filed it with the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Horrible experience. Kepp being strong and standing up for your rights.
Similar to Kentucky's legislation, Mississippi seeks to ban abortions after a fetal heartbeat has been detected. The law was set to take effect on July 1, but the state's only abortion clinic and the Center for Reproductive Rights have asked a federal judge to block it. Current Mississippi restrictions require a 24-hour wait between an in-person consultation and the procedure.
That really pisses me off. I want my uterus removed so I can’t fall pregnant, have no periods and not get early menopause. But I am deemed too young as I might want more kids. I have 2 children and I am 100000% sure I don’t want anymore. If my contraception fails I will be opting for an abortion. I hope it doesn’t happen but if it does that is the choice I will make.
North Dakota's governor has signed legislation that makes it a crime for a doctor to perform a second-trimester abortion with the use of instruments i.e clamps, scissors and forceps in order to remove the fetus from the womb. If caught medical professionals would be faced with a felony charge, up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. The bill would come into effect and be enforceable if a federal appeals court or the US Supreme Court allows it.
And this is what it will turn back into if we make them illegal and unobtainable. Abortions have taken place since the ancient Egyptians. Women are going to do them no matter what the laws are.
Ohio's governor signed a heartbeat bill this year which banned abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected. The law does not provide any exceptions for rape or incest. The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit to challenge the six-week pregnancy ban, which is set to go into effect July 10 unless the ACLU court order is able to delay the start date while the lawsuit goes forward.
Heartbeat legislation started as a model bill passed around by fringe anti-abortion groups, until it was taken up by North Dakota in 2013 and ultimately struck down by the lower courts - who deemed it unconstitutional. While it is likely that these laws will continue to get struck down by lower courts, the hope of anti-abortion groups is that some will make it to the Supreme Court. Even if the justices do not overturn Roe v Wade there is the possibility that they can uphold these measures to make the procedure more difficult to obtain in these states.
A child binds a woman to an abusive partner. Women are raped by abusive partners... Let's make a law that perpetuates this cycle and pat ourselves on the back for saving lives... Because that's the only thing that matters right!?
My oh my. Only 18 and dealing with cancer and pregnancy. Heavy. I am so glad that you are here, sharing your experience.
I was adopted at birth and I would like to assume that my biological mother, whom I have NEVER met, wasn’t FORCED into carrying me. I am grateful for her willingness to give me up after birth in order to give me a better life with my parents, who could not conceive. However, if I found out she had been FORCED to carry me to term, I would feel inherently guilty about my existence. Adoption is NOT a viable option if you DO NOT WANT TO BE PREGNANT. My body, my choice. My biological mother’s body, HER choice.
A tubal or ectopic pregnancy is life-threatening, not viable, and requires termination. That is not an abortion, that's a life-saving procedure. These yahoos passing laws do not understand that. The idiot senator in Ohio thinks an ectopic pregnancy can be removed and replanted into the uterus. FFS. That kind of medical procedure would change the world. It's not possible.
That's great! No woman should ever feel ashamed or bad for taking the choice that was right for THEM.
To the person saying she shouldve given it up for adoption. If she cant pay for herself, how inthe FUCK is this girl gonna pay hospital expenses at birth? Idiots the whole bunch
19 is so young - having a child with an abusive partner links you to them for life. I hope you were able to leave him behind.
Children growing up in poverty are more or less set up for a life in misery. You mede the the right decision.
I’m so sorry, that must have been so incredibly difficult. That brought tears to my eyes. Sending love.
same. at 17. first time having sex. miscarried, but would have aborted. hang in there. #youknowme too.
Imagine having to carry that child to term. What can be worse than rape? Having to carry product of that attack.
Your comment is the clearest, truest, and most honest one that I have seen so far. Good for you and Pay Attention People!!! This woman is going places!
You are not alone...we are everywhere ready to show you how special you are! <3 stay strong sister!
#youknowme i was 18 got pregnant by an abusive man. Suspected the pregnancy. Punched myself in the lower gut till i bled profusely. Realised i caused my own miscarriage. Not even sorry.
And that's it in a nutshell! You have the right to grow yourself and know yourself before you choose to have a child. Bravo!
The fact that these women are strong enough to share their stories. Is a great thing and they shouldn't have to deal with some asshole on the Internet. So, please be respectful.
Correct me if I'm wrong but the phrase 'compromising his SOBRIETY' suggests to me that he wanted to be sober & kick the habit & that dealing with both that & a newborn would have been too much for them both, plus she was on the pill which suggests they weren't intending to get pregnant at that time. I would also suggest that the fact she married him would lean towards being proof that he beat the alcoholism in order to have a healthy, stable relationship with her.
@hashwadoobies, that's not the point. That doesn't work all the time, and that's their decision
The university doctor refused to give you the morning after pill? What business does that person have being a university doctor?
Honestly, America... I don't get it. If I can't care for that child or it comes from a rape or condom-ghosting or a contraceptive malfunction, it's forced upon a woman to carry that unwanted child to term? And what about a birth defect? Something really serious that may not be immediately fatal but cause that child terrible pain for a few weeks before it dies anyway? Are you saying its better to have that child born to a life (however short) of suffering than to prevent that suffering altogether? Seriously, what is it with America and trying to relegate women's reproductive organs?? I live in a 1st world country that allows abortion and we don't have clinics at every corner! But we do have physicians that provide us the best care and support during a difficult decision in our lives. Ever since that Orange clown sits in the big white building, America is slowly but surely degenerating... Save yourselves, Women, before the facists come for you! (German, I know a fascist when I see one!)
It's not America doing this bullshit, it's American politicians. These bills were passed in spite of overwhelming opposition by the people.
Thank you for bringing birth defects into the conversation. When my husband and I found out our long awaited first child had severe genetic abormalities, devastated does not begin to cover it. The specialists were frankly shocked that he had survived as long as he had in utero. My only option was to seek an abortion or wait for a miscarriage. If by some chance he actually had made it to term, his life expectancy was measured in days, maybe weeks. It was still the most difficult decision of my life, and led to months of deep depression. After all that though, we now have a beautiful perfectly healthy little boy that is the absolute center of our world. He would not be here if we hadn't made the decision we made.
To be clear, I did have an abortion, and even had to cross state lines to do so. It was a horrific experience mentally and physically. I would not wish that choice on any woman for any reason, but denying her that choice is criminal.
First of all, I'm so sorry for your loss. I really admire you for telling your story, it can really help someone I believe. I would've done the same thing to be honest. I think it's time we stop letting old men decide what's best for us and for everyone around us.
The right to life in the US only applies to the fetuses. Everyone else can die of poor health care, poor jobs, lack of benefits, poor education, pollution... Utterly backwards mindset, and it's peculiar how men who walk away from children are, by comparison, barely scolded compared to the crap poured on women who just walk into a clinic for a PAP SMEAR! and lunatics assume it's for an abortion... (My problem, as I can't afford an OB-GYN any way but the clinics, and every single time... The signs thrust in my face, the rhetoric, the pamphlets, the whole deal, and allI wanna do is not find out if I have cancer!)
It has to do with the much stronger religious presence we have in this country. Germany, and other European countries, are much more secular. Here we have churches everywhere and they have weaseled their way into popularity by offering more than just church service. They are now daycare center providers, schools, psychological help institutes, music lessons, concert venues, etc... Churches made sure they stayed in people's lives and that as many people as possible stayed religious by becoming more appealing and offering more services. So when you see a person in office vote against abortion, she is most likely Christian and is trying to shove her/his religious beliefs down the rest of our throats.
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So you’d let a fetus who was guaranteed to die in agony after birth go to term? What kind of sick sadist are you? Would you get off watching a baby gasp for breath? Is that your thrill?
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Mica, your country has gone to shit since Merkel opened its doors and bent over. Don't lecture a superior nation. Mica says Orange Man Bad! F off Mica. MAGA !!
What's absolutely amazing to me is a man can just pick up and walk away from a pregnant woman without looking back, but that woman needs to carry that child to term... her body needs to go through the changes of pregnancy, and then her body needs to go through the trauma of birth or a c-section. Men never seem to be held accountable here. Where are the laws charging them with child abandonment or neglect? Why don't we start there? We are living in a country right now that doesn't give a shit about mental health. If a woman is raped and becomes pregnant, every day she carries that child, every pound she gains, every kick she feels... every second is a CONSTANT reminder of that rape. How is that woman ever supposed to recover? I am DISGUSTED where this country is headed. If a person doesn't agree with abortion, no one is forcing them to have one, but DO NOT TAKE THE RIGHT AWAY FROM A WOMAN WHO WANTS OR NEEDS ONE. End. Of. Story.
I'll be honest, I used to be a Pro-Lifer. But that was when I was still in high school and I hadn't known much about abortion and rape and things like that until I was able to join sites like this. It's really opened my eyes to the issues our world is dealing with, and now that I've read up on a lot of this, I am DEFINITELY a Pro-Choicer. Thank you all for opening my eyes. :)
Good job on learning about this!
opening your eyes to murder.
Honestly, America... I don't get it. If I can't care for that child or it comes from a rape or condom-ghosting or a contraceptive malfunction, it's forced upon a woman to carry that unwanted child to term? And what about a birth defect? Something really serious that may not be immediately fatal but cause that child terrible pain for a few weeks before it dies anyway? Are you saying its better to have that child born to a life (however short) of suffering than to prevent that suffering altogether? Seriously, what is it with America and trying to relegate women's reproductive organs?? I live in a 1st world country that allows abortion and we don't have clinics at every corner! But we do have physicians that provide us the best care and support during a difficult decision in our lives. Ever since that Orange clown sits in the big white building, America is slowly but surely degenerating... Save yourselves, Women, before the facists come for you! (German, I know a fascist when I see one!)
It's not America doing this bullshit, it's American politicians. These bills were passed in spite of overwhelming opposition by the people.
Thank you for bringing birth defects into the conversation. When my husband and I found out our long awaited first child had severe genetic abormalities, devastated does not begin to cover it. The specialists were frankly shocked that he had survived as long as he had in utero. My only option was to seek an abortion or wait for a miscarriage. If by some chance he actually had made it to term, his life expectancy was measured in days, maybe weeks. It was still the most difficult decision of my life, and led to months of deep depression. After all that though, we now have a beautiful perfectly healthy little boy that is the absolute center of our world. He would not be here if we hadn't made the decision we made.
To be clear, I did have an abortion, and even had to cross state lines to do so. It was a horrific experience mentally and physically. I would not wish that choice on any woman for any reason, but denying her that choice is criminal.
First of all, I'm so sorry for your loss. I really admire you for telling your story, it can really help someone I believe. I would've done the same thing to be honest. I think it's time we stop letting old men decide what's best for us and for everyone around us.
The right to life in the US only applies to the fetuses. Everyone else can die of poor health care, poor jobs, lack of benefits, poor education, pollution... Utterly backwards mindset, and it's peculiar how men who walk away from children are, by comparison, barely scolded compared to the crap poured on women who just walk into a clinic for a PAP SMEAR! and lunatics assume it's for an abortion... (My problem, as I can't afford an OB-GYN any way but the clinics, and every single time... The signs thrust in my face, the rhetoric, the pamphlets, the whole deal, and allI wanna do is not find out if I have cancer!)
It has to do with the much stronger religious presence we have in this country. Germany, and other European countries, are much more secular. Here we have churches everywhere and they have weaseled their way into popularity by offering more than just church service. They are now daycare center providers, schools, psychological help institutes, music lessons, concert venues, etc... Churches made sure they stayed in people's lives and that as many people as possible stayed religious by becoming more appealing and offering more services. So when you see a person in office vote against abortion, she is most likely Christian and is trying to shove her/his religious beliefs down the rest of our throats.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
So you’d let a fetus who was guaranteed to die in agony after birth go to term? What kind of sick sadist are you? Would you get off watching a baby gasp for breath? Is that your thrill?
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Mica, your country has gone to shit since Merkel opened its doors and bent over. Don't lecture a superior nation. Mica says Orange Man Bad! F off Mica. MAGA !!
What's absolutely amazing to me is a man can just pick up and walk away from a pregnant woman without looking back, but that woman needs to carry that child to term... her body needs to go through the changes of pregnancy, and then her body needs to go through the trauma of birth or a c-section. Men never seem to be held accountable here. Where are the laws charging them with child abandonment or neglect? Why don't we start there? We are living in a country right now that doesn't give a shit about mental health. If a woman is raped and becomes pregnant, every day she carries that child, every pound she gains, every kick she feels... every second is a CONSTANT reminder of that rape. How is that woman ever supposed to recover? I am DISGUSTED where this country is headed. If a person doesn't agree with abortion, no one is forcing them to have one, but DO NOT TAKE THE RIGHT AWAY FROM A WOMAN WHO WANTS OR NEEDS ONE. End. Of. Story.