In recent years abortion storytelling has become a method of destigmatizing abortion through movements such as Shout Your Abortion, We Testify, the 1 in 3 campaign, the Abortion Diary podcast, and many others. As abortion restrictions have increasingly threatened people’s access to reproductive care, public figures have also joined in and shared their own stories. See our post on abortion storytelling for more information about this effort to destigmatize abortion.
Politicians Share their Stories:
The Hardest Speech | Time.com
As lawmakers have seen increasing numbers of bills restricting abortion access, many have been chosen to speak out about their own experiences with abortion care. This article highlights some of those stories and discusses the serious risks many of these leaders took in sharing their stories.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal: The Story of My Abortion
NY Times
Washington state representative Pramila Jayapal shared her story of choosing to have an abortion in a NY Times op-ed in response to increasing restrictions on abortion access.
Where did #YouKnowMe come from?
#YouKnowMe: Why Women are Sharing their Abortion Stories
Vox.com
In 2019, following the restrictive bans passed by Alabama, Mississippi, Ohio, and many other states, a movement using the hashtag “YouKnowMe” began trending, encouraging public figures to share their abortion experiences in an effort to destigmatize abortion.
Thousands of Women Have Shared Abortion Stories with #YouKnowMe. She Was First.
NY Times
In this NY Times interview, Busy Phillips discusses her motivations for sharing her story and starting #YouKnowMe, suggesting that abortion storytelling destigmatizes this care and calling for men to be allies in the battle for adequate access to reproductive care.
The 2019 influx of abortion storytelling after #YouKnowMe:
The Celebrities Who Have Come Forward About Their Abortions, and Why
W Magazine
After Busy Phillips began the “#YouKnowMe” online trend, there was an outpouring of abortion storytelling from celebrities and other public figures. Read some of their stories here.
24 Celebrities Who Have Opened Up About Having Abortions
Insider.com
This article compiles more stories of celebrities and public figures who have spoken out about exercising their right to choose.
The Abortion Library 