Those who advocate for abortion rights have begun to express concern that men are not as engaged in their movement as they would like them to be. This shift in perspective has occurred over the course of several decades, during which abortion advocates have consistently framed the issue as a “women’s issue,” a designation that has excluded men from the discourse.
A writer at Jezebel has expressed concern that men are not doing enough to promote abortion.
In an article for Jezebel, pro-abortion activist Charlotte Shane posited the following:
It infuriates me to know that the vast majority of cis [heterosexual, non-transgender] men in my life simply don’t care about abortion access, even when they have benefited from it in the past and may benefit from it again in the future.
She asserts that men are indifferent to the oppression of women, despite their role in perpetuating and sustaining this oppression through their actions and inactions. Since they are unable to arrive at a state of caring on their own, it is unclear how we are to “make” them care.
It appears that Shane is unaware of the potential limitations of a strategy that indiscriminately accuses all men of oppressing women. Such a tactic may not be the most effective means of garnering support for her cause.
A further complaint has been made by those in favour of abortion rights, namely that men are not sufficiently involved in the process.
Ashley Fetters writes in The Atlantic:
Those who advocate for abortion rights have recently been calling for a level of male involvement similar to that of the anti-abortion movement. They have also expressed dismay at the lack of male voices speaking out about how abortion has affected their lives.
Fetters draws upon a number of other articles written by pro-abortion women who address the same topic.
She cites the case of a pro-abortion man who attended a NARAL Pro-Choice America meeting in Atlanta. He reported that, based on an estimated 80 attendees, only three were male.
Pro-lifers admit they’ve excluded men
Fetters posed the question to Emily Bonow, the cofounder of Shout Your Abortion, as to why men are not more involved in the pro-abortion movement.
In a recent interview, Bonow stated, “I have observed numerous indications that appear to convey the message, ‘No uterus, no opinion.’ I believe that this approach has deterred some men from engaging in the discourse, despite the fact that their input is crucial to the advancement of this topic.”
Fetters elaborated:
[The construct of abortion as an expression of a woman’s right to bodily autonomy can make it seem like an issue that only women are fit to address… And it hasn’t helped… that some abortion rights advocates have all but insisted that the abortion rights movement be a no-men’s zone.
Those who advocate for abortion rights have consistently asserted that men should be excluded from the discourse surrounding the issue. Such claims are typically directed at pro-life men. However, the persistent assertion that abortion is a matter exclusively pertaining to women and that men should have no right to influence a woman’s decision has had a profound impact on the pro-abortion movement.
Another pro-abortion activist, Alison McQuade, has posited that men are eager to participate in the celebrations surrounding pregnancy and childbirth, yet become suddenly silent when abortion is discussed.
In our society, it is expected that men will provide for their children. The enactment of legislation requiring the provision of child support serves to emphasise the responsibility in question.
However, men are entirely excluded from the decision-making process surrounding abortion.
Fathers have no rights
It is evident that men lack the capacity to safeguard their unborn children in the event that their partners opt for an abortion. The decision is repeatedly informed to them that it is solely hers.
This ultimately results in a tragic outcome when a man desires for his child to survive.
One individual whose partner had an abortion wrote, “I have never experienced such a profound sense of powerlessness in my entire life.” The depression and anger are of significant concern. The difficulty arises from the question of whether I am entitled to feel this way. She never even sought to ascertain my wishes. “I felt that I lacked the right to express my feelings.”
RDF’s partner was pregnant with twins, and initially, the couple expressed satisfaction with the pregnancy. At approximately 20 weeks, however, she elected to terminate the pregnancy. RDF implored her to reconsider.
I tried to reason with her. She wouldn’t have it. I refused to take her. She called a taxi. I thought to myself, “If I let her get in that cab, she’ll probably go through with it. So I agreed to take her to Planned Parenthood, hoping to talk her out of it.
She wouldn’t have any of it. I tried to talk to her. She was silent. Not a word. I drove. She stared out the window. She was stubborn. She was a “modern woman”, nobody would tell her what to do… Not me… Nobody.
RDF has experienced a profound emotional distress as a consequence of the loss of his children.
Men mourn the children they couldn’t save
I tried everything, I offered to marry her, to take the baby myself or to give it up for adoption. She said she could never give her child up for adoption – it didn’t make any cognitive sense…
I’ve thought about what happened every day for the last 32 years.
Kevin Albin was gratified by his wife’s pregnancy and believed she was similarly pleased. He stated, “I had initiated preparations for the nursery and commenced procuring items for the infant.” “She was just as enthusiastic as I was.” However, at 19 weeks, she opted for an abortion and informed him that he had no influence over the decision.
He implored her not to proceed with the termination.
I begged her. I begged her to let me adopt the child, but she refused to listen. She wanted me to take her to the procedure. I said no and started praying that she would change her mind or back out. Two days later she came home and said it was over and that it was a boy.
He writes:
[T]here is not a day that goes by that I do not grieve for my lost son… In most cases, pro-lifers scream that men have no argument in this fight, that we have absolutely no say because we are, by their logic, just ‘sperm donors’.
The reality is that men feel an immense amount of pain too, and we carry our own fair share of demons, whether it was our choice or not.
For an extended period, the pro-abortion movement has asserted that men’s opinions regarding the termination of their children’s pregnancies are irrelevant and that only women should be permitted to make such decisions.
It is not surprising that men have internalised this message. After expending considerable effort to exclude men from the abortion decision, pro-abortion feminists are now expressing concern about the consequences of their actions.
Daniel Miller is responsible for nearly all of National Right to Life News' political writing.
With the election of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency, Daniel Miller developed a deep obsession with U.S. politics that has never let go of the political scientist. Whether it's the election of Joe Biden, the midterm elections in Congress, the abortion rights debate in the Supreme Court or the mudslinging in the primaries - Daniel Miller is happy to stay up late for you.
Daniel was born and raised in New York. After living in China, working for a news agency and another stint at a major news network, he now lives in Arizona with his two daughters.
