7 Things Canadians should consider after the Overturning of Roe v. Wade
1. It's okay to not be okay.
There will be people who think it's weird that you are feeling some way about an issue in America, and we're here to say - fuck those people.
It's okay not to be okay, and it's also OK to want to think about something else and ignore this for a bit. It's okay to process this however you want to.
Remember that protecting your mental health is essential. So take time to practice self-care in its truest form (check out #ocpdefines for a definition).
If you need to consume information and are looking to commit to this work, then consider reading:
Any published work by bell hooks
Take Back the Fight by Nora Loretto (you can also listen to her podcast)
Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire
The master's tools will never dismantle the master's house by Audre Lorde.
2. It's okay to have complicated feelings around this
We know that abortion rights are human rights. So there are a lot of complicated feelings that come up for us when we see what is happening down south. On the one hand, we’re watching human rights be stripped from people who could be pregnant, and that is fucking devastating.
On the other hand, we know that the QTBIPOC community, especially Black, Indigenous and Trans folk, have not historically been afforded the same protections around their rights and freedoms - both in America and here in Canada.
We don't know about you, but seeing cis-white women rally around this issue when you know these are the same women who historically ignore violations of QTBIPOC (and other marginalized communities) human rights feels sticky and uncomfortable.
It’s okay to feel uncomfortable and sticky around this, and it’s also OK to name that to your cis-white friends. As QTBIPOC folk, we have to work to start communicating this discomfort instead of just holding it in our hearts, and our friends should be a safe space to start.
P.S Dear white cis-women: It’s important to note here that Black, Indigenous, and Trans folk have been championing human rights issues for decades. So if you are ready to start fighting this fight, then you need to find these activists and orgs and work to amplify, fund and support them. Please reject the great colonial urge to co-opt or recreate this work and instead champion the work being done.
3. Do better than framing abortion rights around white cis-women.
Please resist the urge to repost a Handmaid's Tale graphic.
While, admittedly, the Handmaid's Tale TV show depicts a dystopian future that is becoming eerily similar to our world, it also centers a white cis women's experience (despite having so many opportunities to tell more than just June's story).
When we use The Handmaid's Tale to discuss what is happening, we continue to center white cis women, and we need less of that in our world, especially since abortion rights have disproportionately affected BIPOC folk.
Trans men, non-binary and intersex folk are part of this discussion as well.
We get the urge to call this a women's issue, but we encourage you to consider it a healthcare issue instead. It impacts anyone with a uterus who can get pregnant which is more than just cis women of childbearing age.
Challenge yourself and the people in your life to phrase this differently because most of us aren't trying to further oppress and marginalize people while discussing human rights.
4. Don't reinvent work that abortion funds are already doing
It's no surprise to us the amount of Tik Toks out there of Canadians offering to host American neighbours who want to go "camping."
It actually did warm our hearts to see so much of that on social media, but we want to point out that these support networks already exist! Further, these access abortion networks are already set up, organized, vetted and safe to access.
Consider financially contributing to them and spreading awareness about them so people can access abortions safely.
Spread awareness about resources like Mayday Health rather than offering strangers a place to stay.
Visit https://mayday.health to learn more.
5. The overturning of Roe v. Wade is a cautionary tale for Canadians
To the people saying, "but that's just in America; why are you upset" we say this: America is a cautionary tale, a Canadian spoiler alert, for what can happen here.
We've seen it too many times before, and we recommend you read our post, The Great Canadian Fallacy, to unpack it with us.
The most important thing you need to know is that the "far-right," "alt-right," and "right-wing" groups exist in Canada and have used the overturning of Roe v. Wade to restart discussions about mandating forced births in Canada.
6. Don't act like there are two "sides" to an issue of human rights
So many of us grew up with pro-"life" or pro-choice being framed as two equally valid opinions. The thing is, there aren't two sides to this discussion. Much like many issues regarding human rights, there is the side of the oppressor and the oppressed.
Acting like there are two sides to this issue, including having pro-"life" advocates on a news show as an "alternative opinion," is siding with the oppressor. In reality, the decision to get an abortion should be the decision of the pregnant person. Any attempt to legislate a person's body and make decisions for them violates their human rights.
If you find yourself thinking, "but there are two sides to this," we challenge you to ask yourself if the people who advocate for pro-"life" legislation are consistent in their beliefs by also supporting a social system that takes care of and sets these children and families up for success. Do they advocate for a free post-secondary education system? For equitable access to free healthcare? For food, shelter and access to essential services (including a liveable income) guaranteed? No, No, and No.
That's because they aren't pro-"life"; they are pro-forced births which makes them anti-human rights.
7. On Abortions in Canada
Abortion is decriminalized in Canada, but there are no governing laws protecting it - and that's okay.
Our friends at Action Canada (an organization that works to protect sexual and reproductive rights) pointed out that asking for federal legislation opens the door for the Conservatives to add restrictions to our healthcare rights.
Instead, we need to look at this as a health issue and advocate for the following:
Strengthen enforcement of the Canada Health Act across this country
Work to ensure that provinces and territories respect and uphold the Canada Health Act
Create the promised Health Canada web portal that will feature accurate, unbiased information
Increase federal health transfers with ties to the expansion of reproductive and sexual health services across the country
Permanently fund the new Health Canada sexual and reproductive health fund
Go to oncanadaproject.ca/FindYourRep for an email template.
