Dudes should care about abortion access, because North Carolinians need more allies to ensure access to abortion and reproductive rights for all.
We've seen plenty of anti-abortion men gain extreme popularity and dangerous power in our state and across our country. Anti-abortion men make rules for people who will need abortions and pretend that they themselves, and their loved ones, will never need one. Anti-abortion men operate deceptive business schemes, from anti-abortion centers (a.k.a. crisis pregnancy centers) to phony research and media organizations that publish biased content. Anti-abortion men spread confusing lies and misinformation about reproductive health to further their agenda and to take away our rights. Anti-abortion men have a lot of power and it makes us feel like they're winning.
Where are our men who fight for reproductive freedom?
Men are welcome and are encouraged to join this movement and support the work - now is the time. Don't be shy... become an ally! Here at Pro-Choice North Carolina, we need folks from all walks of life to support our work, because it is our collective action as grassroots organizers that will ensure collective liberation and reproductive freedom for us all.
Learn how to be an ally for abortion access and reproductive freedom today!
One resource for men who want to learn more about how they can get involved is Men 4 Choice. Check out the Men 4 Choice website and resources like their starter toolkit for men: How to be an Ally in the Fight for Reproductive Freedom. This site has a ton of information and ideas about how men can be involved in the movement - a great place to start!
What's your Why?
Every one of us has stakes in the fight for reproductive freedom. Knowing how to listen to folks already impacted by abortion restrictions and lack of access to reproductive healthcare is just as important as speaking up yourself and knowing how to share your story / talk about your motivation behind supporting the movement.
My testimony:
I grew up in a small rural town in North Carolina. I attended church with my entire family, and we regularly gathered for Sunday lunch to debrief and to spend time together before departing for the work week ahead. My mom is a teacher of over 30 years in a small and under-resourced public school system. My dad is a nuclear power plant technician (also for over 30 years) and drives an hour to work (each way) every day. My grandfather and my uncle worked there too. We are blue-collar workers, public school educators, small-business owners, and even farmers. My family has lived in North Carolina for more than 6 generations! We're about as country as they come.
Man, how I wrestled with what often felt like big pressure to study engineering and follow in my father's footsteps. So long as I didn't move off to college and become a 'mean ol' liberal' (later termed 'snowflake'), they'd be happy with whatever path I chose. So long as I could support myself financially, might I add. I found my freedom on my dirt bike and in making music with my friends. I did go off to college, and it was in the *liberal* bubble of the Triangle (lol). After I graduated, I worked for a local rape crisis center in the Triangle for 7 years and now I am the Operations Manager at Pro-Choice North Carolina.
My identities as a white, cis-gender, and gay man have played a huge role in how I show up in this movement. Men face great societal pressure to fulfill often-toxic aspects of their gender role, and men have a lot to consider about the ways they are afforded power through their privilege in a patriarchal society. Working for a rape crisis center and now for Pro-Choice North Carolina has taught me that reproductive rights and the traumatic impacts of sexual violence are men's issues too! (Check out my blog post where I talk more about my experience in these orgs!) More than that, consent and bodily autonomy are issues that folks of every identity can get behind. There is a place for everyone at the table.
In my hometown, I felt far-removed from the same movement I work in today. I thought: my community is not as greatly impacted by issues of sexual violence and reproductive rights as others. I felt the pressure to adhere to toxic cultural norms of masculinity, but I did not think that there was any space there for a change of attitude or a change of heart. Working at a rape crisis center that serves rural communities and now working with our constituents across the state at Pro-Choice North Carolina, I can see that I was never alone as a man in this work in my community and that there are opportunities for me to be involved, even right in my own backyard.
Take Action today with Pro-Choice North Carolina!
Pro-Choice North Carolina is a statewide organization, and we intend to bring our work to your community too!
Check out our Take Action page to learn more about how you can become involved in our programming and advocacy work. We are a vast network of champions for reproductive freedom and we need more North Carolinians to join our ranks!
Whether you have resources to invest, connections in your community with allied constituents, or simply the motivation to make positive change where you live, we would love to connect with you and have your support! Please consider signing up for our mailing list and stay tuned for plenty of Pro-Choice action coming up over the next year.
Do you know of any anti-abortion centers (a.k.a. crisis pregnancy centers) in your community? Find out more about how these deceptive organizations cause harm and Pro-Choice North Carolina's work to hold them accountable!
Know how to help a friend in need! Make sure you know accurate information about abortion and reproductive healthcare so that you can share this information with people in your community. Check out our Guide to Abortion Care or other resources like the Plan C website to learn more.
Maybe you are looking to pay it forward and want to donate to help fund an abortion of a community member in need. Send a little love to the Carolina Abortion Fund and see how this amazing organization makes an impact in our state!
However you decide, choose to support Pro-Choice North Carolina's fight for reproductive freedom and add your voice and your listening ears to our movement.
Together, we can make reproductive freedom a possibility for all.