Dear Friend,
There have been so many challenges this year. From a pandemic that has illuminated cruel societal inequities, to unceasing gun violence, environmental challenges, and systemic racism, our task forces have been hard at work addressing these issues on a legislative level to improve equity for all in our state. But the attack on reproductive freedom witnessed in other states as well as at the federal level is an especially urgent cause of concern for many. Our Reproductive Justice Task Force is focused on advocating for the passage of the Reproductive Freedom Act (S3030/A4848), which will ensure that all New Jerseyans have the right to make their own health decisions on issues of birth control and pregnancy related care, including abortion, as well as removing financial barriers to accessing such care.
Recently a personal story was shared with us that reveals what life was like without access to such care. It is stories such as these that personalize and inspire the work of our task force volunteers and supporters and reminds us why we must continue the work that preserves and protects reproductive freedom for all in our state.
~~~
If it hadn’t been for a found diary, Celia’s life might have turned out very differently.
It was 1968. Martin Luther King, Jr., leader of the Civil Rights Movement, was assassinated in April. Robert F. Kennedy met the same fate in June. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act soon after. The Vietnam War raged on amid increasing protests.
Somewhere in New York state, 16-year-old Celia found herself pregnant by her long-time boyfriend, who was away at college. Terrified and alone, worried she would disappoint her family and derail her life, she resorted to employing techniques rumored to end pregnancy, things like mustard baths and vinegar douches. Nothing worked. She was not ready to become a mother, and she knew the world would not accept her as such.
“I know you’re pregnant,” her mother told her. “I read it in your diary.” Celia’s mother had never invaded her privacy before. Celia had never given her a reason to. She was a strong student, exceptional even. And even though she had been dating her boyfriend for a while, sex was not a subject that was discussed at school or at home. Ever.
But instead of anger at her mother all Celia felt was relief. “I’m going to help you,” her mother said.
That was how Celia found herself in the home of a strange woman, accompanied by her mother, her best friend and her best friend’s mother. The woman offered the ladies a drink, which they declined. $500 changed hands, more cash than Celia had ever seen at once. She disappeared into a back room and laid on a table under a too-bright light. The woman held a speculum. To this day, she doesn’t know how the woman induced the abortion, but it was invasive and painful. And worse, the pain wouldn’t end.
Celia was home from school for days, cramping and bleeding, with no knowledge of when it would stop. Her mother told her father she had the flu. They certainly couldn’t call a doctor for advice. All she could do was wait.
“I never want to have children,” Celia said to herself. “I never want to go through anything like this again.”
Thankfully, the pain and bleeding stopped, no infection set in, and her body healed. Life returned to ‘normal’. Celia and her mother never spoke of the experience again. “I’m one of the lucky ones,” she thought.
~~~
Over 50 years later, Celia reflects on her experience. She went on to receive two advanced degrees, and enjoyed a successful career she is proud of. She adopted a daughter, now grown, with whom she is very close. She volunteers for a number of social justice organizations. The issue she is most passionate about is preserving reproductive freedom.
“The angst, pain, and trauma I experienced years ago stayed with me through my life,” she says. “While I consider myself lucky to be alive, the experience could have gone the other way. I could have bled to death or died of sepsis. And it did inform my life choices, such as not wanting to give birth. This is why we must keep abortion safe, legal and accessible to all, not just those with money.”
The Reproductive Justice Task Force at UU FaithAction NJ is working to pass the Reproductive Freedom Act (RFA) which ensures all New Jerseyans have access to birth control and pregnancy care, including abortion.
“I want the RFA to pass so birth control, pregnancy care and abortion are safe and accessible to all. We simply can’t go back to the way it was.”
Your gift to UU FaithAction NJ this #GivingTuesday will allow us to keep fighting for reproductive freedom as well as the issues we all care about. We couldn’t continue this work without the steadfast support of individuals like you. Thank you for standing with us.
In faith, with love, and for justice,
Charles Loflin
Executive Director