“I declare that I am one of them. I declare that I have had an abortion” Simone de Beauvoir, 1971 Until now I kept the fact I had an abortion pretty private. It was a very personal decision for me to make, as it is for many. But I feel like now is the moment to yell it from the rooftops, because anti-abortion laws are based on lies and, in the words of Rebecca Solnit, “the pretence that those getting abortions are reckless, hypersexual, irresponsible hussies” – whereas the majority are, in fact, women who are already mothers. We must draw attention to the realities of abortion. I was afforded the basic human right to have autonomy over my body, to choose whether or not I felt mentally and physically prepared to responsibly bring a child into the world, to choose whether I felt I could support this child, to choose how best to support myself and my needs, to nurture and love myself. I am so grateful I was able to make that decision safely and affordably, as every woman should, regardless of where they live in the world. What kind of message is the US Supreme Court sending to women all over the world? It is devastating to think that anyone would be denied the freedom to make this life changing decision for themselves. “I believe the hatred of abortion is often because it gives women an autonomy and freedom equivalent to that of men, and that hatred is often expressed by people who show no interest in the health of infants or the wellbeing of children. Or women. And at this point, in science, facts, and truth. Their lies pave the way for their laws.” Rebecca Solnit, The Mother of All Questions Thank you @chelsealeyland and @chloe_kernaghan for sharing Simone’s words ❤️ Photo by @oliverchanarin