It’s not a true choice if it can’t be easily accessed–abortion access beyond “pro-choice”

I am really, really honored to have my words in The Progressive Magazine where heroes of mine have been published. This is the first piece I’ve written for over a month, having decided to step back during the uprisings for Black Lives. I chose to decenter myself and wen’t one of the longest stretches of time without being published since I began freelancing in 2017. That said, I missed writing and I am really proud of how this piece turned out. A huge thank you to the one and only Haley Samsel for your pre-editing edits and guidance.

This piece is about focusing on the importance of abortion access over solely looking at legality of abortion and being “pro-choice.” It’s not a choice if you can’t access it. During a pandemic, this tension is clearer than ever.

“Mutual aid is difficult to define because it is so situationally specific and conditional on who gives it and who receives it. To the dedicated drivers who offer their cars, time, and often money to the patients they drive to and from appointments at abortion clinics, mutual aid is one of the key segments of the fight for abortion access.”