The first time I spoke publicly about my abortion was in Fresno, California. After I spoke, a pastor came up to me and said that he did not support abortion. He said it was wrong. My heart stopped and I thought, “Breathe, his words won’t hurt you.” Then he continued, “I never thought about the women having abortions, just abortion itself. You showed me that women going through a tough experience deserve respect and support, whether I agree or not. I’m going to take that lesson back to my church.” I cried. I never thought that I would be able to impact someone like that.
The first time I spoke publicly about my abortion was in Fresno, California. After I spoke, a pastor came up to me and said that he did not support abortion. He said it was wrong. My heart stopped and I thought, “Breathe, his words won’t hurt you.” Then he continued, “I never thought about the women having abortions, just abortion itself. You showed me that women going through a tough experience deserve respect and support, whether I agree or not. I’m going to take that lesson back to my church.” I cried. I never thought that I would be able to impact someone like that.Renee, writing about the experience of “coming out” about her abortion.
In a response to Anon, she writes, “By sharing mine, I was able to breathe and let go of the shame I felt. By sharing mine, I became empowered and helped women in my community to also rid themselves of stigma and shame. I respect your choice not to share yours, but you don’t get to judge me or assume my intentions and motivations of sharing mine. It wasn’t to be trendy - I did it to heal.”
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Notes from others: