From Abortion to Reproductive Freedom: Transforming a Movement

340 Pages·1990·42.38 MB·English

by  Marlene Gerber Fried (ed.)

From
Abortion
to
Reproductive
Freedom:
Transforming
Movement
a
Edited byMarlene Gerber Fried

From
to Reproductive
Freedom
a
Transforming
Movement
Marlene Gerber Fried
editor
South End Press
MA
Boston,
© 1990Marlene GerberFried
Grateful acknowledgement is made to all the authors who have
contributed previously published material. For copyright information,
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From abortion to reproductive freedom: transforming a movement/
editedbyMarlene GerberFried.
p. cm.
Includesindex.
ISBN 0-89608-388-8 (cloth): $30.00.—ISBN 0-89608-387-X (paper)
$14.00
— — —
1. Abor—tion Social aspects United States. 2. Abor—tion Government
policy United—States. 3- Pro-choice movement United States. 4.
Women's rights UnitedStates. I. Fried, MarleneGerber.
HQ767.5.U5F77 1990 90-40541
363.4'6'0973-<lc20 CIP
SouthEndPress, 116SaintBotolphStreet, Boston, MA02115
98 97 96 95 94 93 92 91 90 12 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
From Abortion to Reproductive Freedom:
Transforming a Movement
Acknowledgments vii
Introduction ix
THE POLITICS OFTHEABORTIONRIGHTSMOVEMENT
TransformingtheReproductiveRightsMovement:
The Post-Webster Agenda 1
MarleneGerberFried
Racism, BirthControl, andReproductive Rights 15
AngelaDavis
FromPrivacytoAutonomy:
The ConditionsforSexualand Reproductive Freedom 27
RhondaCopelon
KeyUnitedStates Supreme Court
AbortionandPrivacyCases 45
MobilizingAgainstthe State and International
"Aid"Agencies: "ThirdWorld"Women
DefineReproductiveFreedom 49
JacquiAlexander
Abortion andSterilizationin theThirdWorld 63
TheRighttoLife:
WhatCantheWhiteManSayto the BlackWoman? 65
Alice Walker
SPEAKINGOUTFORWOMEN: CHOOSINGOURSELVES
Before Roev. Wade 71
Sharon Cox
ExitsandEntrances 73
JoanFishbein
AQuestionofSurvival/AConspiracyofSilence:
AbortionandBlackWomen'sHealth 75
ByllyeAvery
ChoosingOurselves: BlackWomenandAbortion 83
BeverlySmith
HiddenHistory: AnIllegalAbortionin 1968 87
MargaretCerullo
TheAbortion 91
Susan Tracy
Justcall "Jane" 93
"Jane"
ThePoliticsofMenstrualExtraction 101
LauraPunnett
AbortionWithoutApology 113
LynnS. Chancer
BreakingSilences: APost-AbortionSupportModel 121
SarahButtenweiserandRevaLevine
WhoHasAbortions intheUnitedStates? 129
PuttingWomenBackintotheAbortionDebate 131
Ellen Willis
RaisingOurVoices 139
LorettaRoss
DEFENDINGABORTIONRIGHTS:
CONFRONTINGTHREATSTOACCESS
EmergencyMemorandumtoWomenofColor 147
LorettaRoss, SherrilynLfill, SabraeJenkins
AbortionRights, PoorWomen, andReligiousDiversity 151
SabraeJenkins
TheReproductiveHealthofBlackWomen 157
Kathy's DayinCourt l6l
AngelaBonavoglia
ReproductiveIssuesAreEssentialSurvivalIssues
fortheAsian-AmericanCommunities 175
ConnieS. Chan
Pro-ChoiceActivismSpringsfromManySources 179
AnnBaker
OperationOppressYou: Women'sRights UnderSiege 185
DdzonDixon
EverySpermIs Sacred 187
CynthiaPeters
ClinicViolence andHarassmentofAbortionProviders 195
RU-486 197
JudyNorsigian
FightingBackto SaveWomen'sLives 205
Brendajoyner
The FemaleWarSaga 213
Sharon Cox
EXPANDINGTHEAGENDA:
BUILDINGANINCLUSIVEMOVEMENT
Survival, Empowerment, andActivism 217
RoxannaPastor
LaMujerPuertorriquena,
Su Cuerpo, ySu Lucha porLaVida:
ExperienceswithEmpowermentinHartford, Connecticut .221
. .
CandidaFlores, LaniDavison, EnidMercedesRey,
MigdaliaRivera,MariaSerrano
SharedDreams: ALeftPerspective
onDisabilityRights andReproductiveRights 233
AdrienneAschandMichelleFine
Abortion/BabyDoeControversy 241
MarianBlackwell-Stratten,MaryLouBreslin,
ArleneByrnneMayerson, SusanBailey
Women'sReproductiveRightsintheAgeofAIDS 245
HortensiaAmaro
Court-OrderedCaesareans:
AGrowingConcernforIndigentWomen 255
JaneanAcevedoDaniels
PregnancyandDrug Use: IncarcerationIsNottheAnswer 263
. .
JacquelineBerrien
PunishingWomenintheNameofFetalRights 269
GenderDifference, FetalRights,
andthePolitics ofProtectionism: WorkplaceIssues 271
CynthiaDaniels
"TogetherWeWillGetSomewhere":WorkingTogether
forLesbian/GayLiberationandReproductiveFreedom 281
ShelleyMainsandStephaniePoggi
ReproductiveRightsPositionPaper:
theNationalBlackWomen'sHealthProject 291
VisionStatement: WomenofColorPartnershipProgram ....293
StatementofAsian-PacificWomenonReproductiveHealth 295
. .
AReproductiveRightsAgendaforthe 1990s 297
KathrynKolbert
ReproductiveRightsandCoalition-Building 307
ByllyeAvery
Noteson Contributors 309
Index 313
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
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I want to thank the many people who helped, encouraged, and
supported me during this project. I want to acknowledg—e the women
whosecontribut—ionsmakeupthiscollection. Theirwork bothactivist
and intellectual deepens my understanding ofthe meaning ofrepro-
ductive freedomand inspires myactivism.
Myownpoliticalcommitmentshavebeenprimarilyshapedby the
manywomenwithwhomI haveworked politically, especiallythose in
the Reproductive Rights Network (R2N2)which hasbeen myorganiza-
tional home forovera decade. R2N2's collective commitment to femi-
nism, tograssrootsactivism,andtoamulti-racial, multi-issuemovement
has been a critical influence in my—political development. At the same
time, thecollapseofNationalR2N2 b—ecauseofa failure to adequately
addressracismwithintheorganization made painfullycleartomethe
needfornew leadership and new organizations.
Inrecentyears, severalorganizationsandconferenceshavetaken
theleadindevelopinganexpandedvisionofreproductivefreedomand
inassertingtheleadershiproleofwomenofcolorwithinthemovement.
Among these, I am especiallyindebted to the National Black Women's
HealthProject;theWomenofColorPartnershipProgramoftheReligious
CoalitionforAbortionRights; WomenofColorandReproductiveRights
Conferencein 1988; theconference, "InDefenseofRoe,"inApril 1989;
andthe "SistersandAllies" conference in November 1989- 1 amgrateful
toSabraeJenkins, LorettaRoss, andLynnPaltrowforenablingmetobe
partoftheseactivitieswhicharetransformingtheabortionrightsmove-
ment. These are also the networks throughwhich I learned about the
workofmanyofthe contributorstothisvolume. Aspecialthanksgoes
to SabraeJenkins, editor of the Women ofColor Partnership Program
—
newsletter, "CommonGround DifferentPlanes,"thesourceofseveral
articles included here.
Icouldnothavedonethisprojectwithoutthepersonalsupportof
myfriends, mychildrenDannyandMichael, andmyhusbandBillFried
whosesupport,love,andencouragement,nottomentionhiswillingness
Vll
FROMABORTIONTO REPRODUCTIVEFREEDOM
viii
to do much more than his fairshare ofchild care, made it possible. In
addition, Bill has been the editor's editor, patiently working through
manydrafts ofmyarticle andconsultingonothers inthebook.
Barry Lefsky typed the entire manuscript onto disk, often atvery
short notice and with amazing accuracy. Judith Liben and Diane Ray-
mond gave editorial assistance. Anne Deutsh helpedwith correspon-
dence inthe earlystages. LeslieHannigandidthe index.
ManythankstoLoieHayes,EllenHerman,andCynthiaPetersfrom
SouthEndPress.Itwastheirideatodoabookinresponsetotheabortion
crisis.Theirenthusiasmandencouragementdrewmetotheproject,and
Iamappreciativeoftheirongoingcommitmentandsupportasthebook
grewinlengthandbreadth. I alsothankEllenHermanforhereditorial
workandtheentire SouthEndPresscollectiveforproduction.
Finally, butnotinsignificantly, Iwanttoacknowledgemydebtto
HampshireCollegeandtoToniHuberforhisgenerosityandsupportof
theCivilLibertiesandPublicPolicyProgramwhichnotonlyenabledme
to undertake this project, but has made it possible for me to bring
togethermypoliticalcommitmentsandmyacademicinterests.Iamvery
gratefultohavehadthis opportunity.