For over a year and a half I have been a volunteer escort at the Planned Parenthood reproductive health care facility in Bryan, Texas; this particular facility is located in a town home to arguably the most conservative public university, Texas A&M, and is known as one of the most anti-choice areas in the country. Located just steps from Planned Parenthood is an organization that opposes reproductive rights, the Coalition for Life. The fence that surrounds Planned Parenthood serves as the frontline between those that support reproductive rights and those that opposed reproductive rights. This week someone crossed from one side of the fence to the other: the director of the Planned Parenthood joined the Coalition for Life. How could something like this happen? The story may be more complicated than the mainstream media is reporting.
Early on Saturday mornings, the days during which surgical abortions are performed; I arrive at Planned Parenthood and walk through the double doors and sign-in on the volunteer check-in sheet. I put on the yellow and orange volunteer vest, and check out a security badge. Over the next several hours I spend my morning escorting clients into the facility. Volunteer escorts meet clients at their cars and welcome them to Planned Parenthood, and as soon as the clients open their car doors the protesters being shouting through the fence. Escorts simply walk clients from their automobiles to the front door of the facility, and this demonstrates to the clients that we are there to support them. After clients leave the facility escorts walk the clients back to their automobiles, and then ensure that they have a clear path out of the driveway.
The protesters outside of the facility will shout through the fence at the clients the entire time they are arriving and leaving. Also, the protesters will stand along the driveway holding brochures and pamphlets while attempting to get the clients attention. The brochures and pamphlets include factually inaccurate information and intellectually dishonest claims. Often the false link between abortion and breast cancer is claimed in the literature, despite the fact that
according to the American Cancer Society “the scientific evidence does not support the notion that abortion of any kind raises the risk of breast cancer.” Also, the claim is made that women who have abortions will suffer “post-abortion syndrome,” however, “post-abortion syndrome” is not recognized as a legitimate medical condition by either the American Psychological Association (APA) or the American Psychiatric Association.
It was during these mornings that I met Abby Johnson, the director of the Planned Parenthood in Bryan. Johnson was always open to talk about the issues dealing with reproductive rights, and I have always known her to be an outspoken and an opinionated advocate of reproductive rights. Sometimes Johnson would visit with the volunteer escorts in front of the facility, and complaints about the protesters seemed to always be one of the topics of conversation. When it comes to the protesters Abby had plenty to complain about. As a volunteer and then later as an employ of Planned Parenthood, she had seen times when the protesters were much more aggressive and much more hostile towards the clients, volunteers, and employees. In fact Johnson herself has been the victim of harassment, and even death threats. While Coalition for Life does not claim responsibility for the actions of all of the protesters, the Coalition for Life facilitates an atmosphere that contributes to those actions.
The Coalition for Life begin a twenty-four hour a day protest in 2004 in front of Planned Parenthood, it called the protest 40 Days for Life. The protest has spread throughout the country, and twice a year in the spring and in the fall these protest take place. During the recent 40 Days for Life protest, which took place from September 23rd until November 1st, Johnson was a guest on the radio show that I host,
Information Underground, on the local all volunteering radio station,
89.1FM KEOS. Johnson was also a guest on another radio show on KEOS,
Fair and Feminist, hosted by two local feminist activists. It was on these shows, in the midst of what was her apparent conversion, that Johnson voiced strong opinions in support of Planned Parenthood and in opposition to the Coalition for Life.
On
Information Underground Johnson spoke about the threats from the protesters:
“This group of people that claim to be peaceful prayer warriors, or whatever they call themselves, it's kind of ironic that some of them would be sending death threats and that they would be harassing and stalking some of our staff.”
On
Fair and Feminist Johnson spoke about crisis pregnancy hotlines:
“Another thing that scares me is…if people are not trained and they don’t know the actual facts on abortion, and they have their own opinion because they’ve been told by somebody from the Coalition [for Life] or they’ve been told by their crazy anti-choice church…you never know what they are going to spouting off to these women.”
It is this history that is why I have my doubts about this conversion. From what Johnson herself told me when she first announced that she had resigned from director of Planned Parenthood was that she had quit not because of moral reasons but because of a disagreement with Planned Parenthood. Johnson had complained about the amount of work that she was required to do, and recently a key member of the staff had accepted another position at another Planned Parenthood facility. There is speculation that this conversation was not as much about a change of heart but more about a disgruntled employee.
According to an article in Salon, Johnson was put on a performance improvement plan by Planned Parenthood on October 2nd of this year, only a year after being awarded “Employee of the Year.” Planned Parenthood has also
filed a temporary restraining order against Johnson and the Coalition for Life. According to the restraining order Johnson was observed removing materials from the facility, copying confidential files, a possibly giving confidential personal information about a Planned Parenthood employee to the Coalition for Life.
According to reports Johnson resigned “after watching an ultrasound of an abortion procedure.” Ultrasounds are used during abortions specifically to make them safer, less painful, and more efficient. According to a confidential source, it seems that the statements that she has made in the media about the ultrasounds are contradictory to the statements that she has made in private. What is particularly strange is that
according to the article in Salon, Johnson witnessed the ultrasound procedure that changed her mind the day before the interview on Fair and Feminist. Also, what remains to be seen is the financial incentive that Johnson may be receiving from the Coalition for Life. According to confidential sources Johnson is now on the Coalition for Life payroll. Also, it appears that Johnson may have been having financial difficulty, so a monetary motivation may be a factor.
Perhaps the most compelling reason why I doubt this conversion is because the extreme shift in views is such that it would require a complete reversal not only abortion, but on the entire scope of reproductive rights. The Coalition for Life and their supporters are not simply against abortion, they are decidedly against all aspects of reproductive rights. A person changing from identifying as pro-choice to pro-life or from pro-life to pro-choice is not necessarily a surprising situation; it is understandable for a person to change their ideas about the moral and ethical questions surround abortion. However, the conversion from a staunch pro-choice advocate who works for a reproductive health care facility, to a outspoken pro-life advocate who now is involved with the very organizations that opposes not just abortion, but everything that encompasses reproductive rights, raises questions.
What is unclear is whether or not Johnson will repeat the same misinformation that she openly disparaged now that she will be standing on the other side of the fence. After eight years of speaking out against the distortions and misrepresentations of the truth by the protesters on the other side of the fence, is she simply going to repeat the same lies that she so often refuted? After helping countless women in ways as simple as providing affording birth control to providing them with the ability to make a difficult choice, is she now going to attempt to prevent women from receiving the services that they need? What is Johnson going to say to the colleagues and friends on the other side of the fence? What is Johnson going to say to me the next time she see me through the fence? What is she going to say to the women who she used to support?
What is clear is that volunteers and activists like me will continue standing up for reproductive rights. While Abby may now be fighting against reproductive rights, we will still be fighting for her reproductive rights.
Posts
