Ep. 219: Moving Beyond Choice Into Reproductive Justice w/ Loretta J. Ross and Marlene Gerber Fried
Guests: Loretta J. Ross and Marlene Gerber Fried
EQ: How can reproductive justice move us beyond debates about individual choice to confront the broader systems that shape people’s ability to have children, not have children, and raise families in safe, supportive communities?
With our guests, we wrestle with how reframing the abortion debate as a conversation about reproductive justice broadens the conversation, connecting personal experiences to larger systems of oppression including racism, white supremacy, eugenics, and patriarchy. The discussion covers the historical and policy context of abortion in the United States, the power of language like reprocide, the necessity of coalition building across political and social lines, and the importance of community-based, judgment-free support services. Our guests also share the core principles of reproductive justice, the origins of the framework, and how activists can apply a justice lens in practice, both nationally and internationally, to secure reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy for all.
Additional Resources:
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Loretta: We’re going to have to use calling in techniques to build power to stop human rights violations. Recent publication “Calling In How to Start Making Change with Those You’d Rather Cancel”
Marlene: Break the rules!
Annie: Every one of our listeners is affected directly by reproductive justice issues and it’s all of our responsibility to be better informed about what’s at stake in the current political environment. If you want to take an actionable step today to engage meaningfully, check out the National Network of Abortion Funds at abortionfunds.org and contribute what you can.
Hope: Buy a copy of the book Abortion & Reproductive Justice: An Essential Guide For Resistance