Ahead of the Holidays, Here's How (Not) to Talk About Abortion
(a very useful article)
Ahead of the Holidays, Here’s How (Not) to Talk About Abortion
11/26/2019 by NARAL Pro-Choice America
Editor’s note on Nov. 22, 2022: The holiday season always spells out a lot of “debate” at the dinner table. The guide below walks you through how to talk about abortion—with fellow voters or at your dinner table—and how to avoid anti-choice traps. We figured this would be a helpful resource this fall and beyond. Originally published in 2018, this piece has been updated to reflect NARAL’s newer guidance and our new post-Roe reality.
For additional conversation guidance, check out the Reproductive Freedom Conversation Guide from All* Above All Action Fund, Emily’s List, NARAL, Planned Parenthood Action Fund and Voto Latino Action Fund (https://www.prochoiceamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/220110-Reproductive-Freedom-Conversation-Guide-v3-1.pdf).
(Audrey Penven / Creative Commons)
It’s become quite clear that reproductive freedom is a political winner: We’re seeing ballot measures pass and candidates across the U.S. run, and win, on their stance on reproductive rights. This makes a lot of sense: A vast majority of Americans (62 percent) now say abortion should be legal in all or most cases. Banning abortion is extremely unpopular, which is why Republicans and anti-abortion extremists, from state houses to the White House, are working to obscure the terms of the debate, infuse incendiary and deceptive rhetoric and spread disinformation about abortion. That’s why it is incumbent upon everyone to engage responsibly in the debate, and avoid adopting the kind of incendiary language upon which the anti-abortion disinformation playbook relies.
When Responsibly Engaging in Conversations About Abortion, Language Matters
In describing abortion bans, describe the bans for what they are: unconstitutional laws intended to ban abortion, often before many even know they’re pregnant, designed to challenge Roe v. Wade. Do not use the phrase “heartbeat bill.” Instead, say “abortion ban before many women know they’re pregnant,” or simply “abortion ban.” Do not use “late-term abortion” (which is not medically accurate!) to describe abortion later in pregnancy. Remember that “late term abortion” is not medically accurate and is a loaded term that Republicans have weaponized to describe abortion later in pregnancy at the expense of women and families experiencing in imaginably difficult situations. Instead, say “abortion later in pregnancy” or “later abortion.”
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How to Respond to Tough Questions and Avoid Anti-Choice Traps
Disinformation, charged rhetoric and false information are flying around abortion—especially the rare cases of abortion later in pregnancy—and post-birth palliative care. To rebut these claims, research shows that the most effective value we can communicate is that of supporting parents (specifically in difficult and often painful circumstances).
Core Message
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“A parent’s job is to protect and care for their children. Parents are the ones who have to deal with the consequences of difficult decisions. Out of deep love, some choose abortion. Abortion later in pregnancy is extremely rare (