Abortion Academy with SYA

In this session, we talked with writer and former SYA Artist-in-Residence Beezus B. Murphy. Beezus was SYA's youngest artist-in-residence, working with SYA to create the 2021 graphic novel My Mom Had an Abortion. Illustrated by Seattle artist Tatiana Gill, the text is a hilarious and heartwarming coming-of-age story written by a teenaged Beezus. Beezus has since moved on to write Waiting Room, an...

Plan C is turning 10! In the ten brief years of their existence, Plan C has absolutely transformed access to abortion in the U.S. by normalizing the option of abortion pills by mail. In this session we'll talk with Plan C's Partnerships and Engagements Director Imani Askew-Shabazz about Plan C's growth over the past decade, how the landscape has changed, and what Plan C is envisioning for the next...

In this session we talk with Sahar Pirzada from HEART to Grow . HEART works to promote sexual health, uproot gendered violence, and advance reproductive justice by establishing choice and access for the most impacted Muslims. Muslims seeking abortion access do so while combatting the ways their Muslim bodies are already politicized and surveilled by the state. We discuss all things HEART and their...

In this session of Abortion Academy we speak with Laura, Ciné, and Lana'e from the Florida Access Network (FAN). Florida has extremely restrictive abortion laws including a six-week limit, a parental consent law, and penalty fines for doctors providing abortions over the legal limit. It's a challenging environment to provide abortion support, but that doesn't stop people in Florida from needing ab...

In this session of Abortion Academy we speak with activist and doctor Suzanne Veldhuis about her groundbreaking research and work with acompañantes and pro-choice physicians in Mexico. Velduis has been working closely with acompañantes – groups of activists who accompany pregnant people through their abortions outside of a clinical setting, creating a safe, holistic, and destigmatizing method of c...

We are thrilled to host author, baker, and activist Becca-Rea Tucker, aka The Sweet Feminist. Becca found her activism lane with her IG creation The Sweet Feminist. A love for baking and sharing pro-abortion stories and support turned into a powerful and influential Instagram account, a cookbook, and a brand-new book The Abortion Companion – a beautiful guide written to help others through their a...

In this session we discuss the barriers and state of access for young people in the US when it comes to abortion. We talk with Youth Access Counsel Katie Baylie (If/When/How) and the general state of access for young people post-Dobbs, including recent developments including the push to ban abortion support and the weaponization of "parental rights;" and will delve deeper into the specific barrier...

In this session we are joined by international friends Abigail Peprah and Vianey Estrada from Women First Digital to talk about the *good* that can be done with social media. These creators and advocates work to share safe abortion information, de-stigmatize abortion, and make abortion more accessible in their work across the globe. Their "Mind Your Uterus" channel on Twitch [link] and presence on...

In this session we talk with atctivist, scholar, and podcaster extraordinaire Camila Ochoa Mendoza, a "culturally confused Venezuelan living in Sweden." Camila created the extremely binge-able podcast "Abortion, With Love," a beautiful podcast that honors the stories of people working in reproductive justice all across the world. We talk about how and why she became involved in abortion activism,...

María Torres Wedding, creator and director of Migrantes Unidos, will discuss their vital work with us, including how they design impactful community projects slowly and intentionally and how they create mutually beneficial relationships and use interdisciplinary approaches to build trust, shared learning, and people power. Migrantes Unidos is an amazing group who works to end the surveillance of i...

In this session we spoke with Dr. Maeve O'Brien from Alliance for Choice Derry about the state of abortion access across the island of Ireland and recent developments in England and Wales. Northern Ireland decriminalized abortion in 2019 and since then has enjoyed a gold standard level of abortion healthcare – with free, safe and decriminalized abortion widely available across all trusts. In the R...

We talk with a full spectrum doula and herbalist Bonnie McIntosh about herbal support for abortions. We'll dig deeper into the huge topic of herbs and their uses and learn more about how plants can be our allies. We'll also get guidance for supportive herbs in surgical and medication abortions, with a focus on misoprostol-only protocols. Bio Bonnie McIntosh is a clinical herbalist & full spectrum...

In this session we talk with Maltese playwright Davinia Hamilton. Hamilton talks with us about her award-winning play Blanket Ban, which takes its name from the incredibly restrictive abortion policies in Malta. We learn more about the situation in Malta and how this play and her work are a form of activism. We're joined in this session by co-facilitator Anne Rumberger from Lux Magazine and Chicag...

The first episode in our "Study Abroad" section of Abortion Academy features artist and activist Mar Lorenzo and activist/researcher/Lara Islinger. Mariana Lorenzo , aka Maremoto , is a textile designer and illustrator. Her art passionately advocates for women's rights, exploring themes of self-esteem, feminism, and LGBTQ advocacy. Lara Islinger is an an activist, researcher, and writer committed...

JustChoice is a grassroots organization founded by people with a range of experience with abortion, adoption, parenting, and the foster care system. The organization is built around the principle that a pregnant person cannot make an ethical adoption decision without having access to all their pregnancy options, including abortion. JustChoice is contacted by pregnant people who need support—emotio...

In this session we spoke with Natalia Broniarczyk from Poland's Abortion Dream Team. We talked about self-managed abortion, abortion with and without mifepristone, strategies for international solidarity, abortion in restricted contexts, and much more.  Natalia Broniarczyk is a Polish abortion rights activist. She is a member of the Abortion Dream Team (pl: Aborcyjny Dream Team), created in Octobe...

SYA Executive Director Amelia Bonow and SYA Organizing Director Jex Blackmore talk about building strong, resilient networks with the people around us in order to to prepare for the difficult times ahead. Amelia and Jex talk about the connection between abortion access and forging strong communities, and offer some concrete suggestions for how to build your own.

In this session of Abortion Academy we talk with Elisa Wells and Lauren Hattaway from Plan C Pills. We focus on how the US presidential election outcomes could affect abortion pill access in the US, including potential legal and regulatory challenges posed by election outcomes: a federal ban, enforcing the Comstock Act, threats to shield laws, and more.

In this session of Abortion Academy we speak with Gina Martinez from the Colorado Doula Project about his work with CDP, including an overview of the abortion doula role, how CDP supports abortion seekers, and Colorado's significance in the US abortion landscape. We talk more about how and why CDP was created, the importance of making change outside of medical systems, and how big changes begin wi...

We are thrilled to welcome our first repeat guest back to Abortion Academy! Erika Christensen from  Patient Forward  and  WhoNotWhen  returns to take a deeper dive into abortion later in pregnancy. Abortion is on the ballot everywhere this election season, and understanding policy proposals can be confusing. We'll talk about ballot measures, how limited protections harm us, and how abortion bans w...

In this episode we talk with Rhiannon Hamam of 5-4, "a podcast about how much the Supreme Court sucks." Rhiannon will gives us a broad overview of how the conservative legal project has shaped abortion law, talks about the concept behind "laws aren't real," and hosts an AMA on all things SCOTUS-related. She is a former public defender and a co-host of the "5-4" podcast, about the US Supreme Court...

In this episode we talk with our friends at North Dakota's Prairie Abortion Fund about their extremely successful activist book club. Since their first  book club in 2019, they've read dozens of books, hosted hundreds of readers from across the United States and Canada, and fostered a thriving community of people who love books and abortion. We'll learn how the club got started, how it has evolved...

In this session of AA, we learn about Reprocare 's peer-supported model of abortion care, how they take inspiration from global community support networks, and how a peer-support model differs from a medical hotline model. We'll talk about how the healthline process works, learn about frequently asked questions and conversations, and gain a general understanding of the folks seeking support around...

SYA talks with activist and scholar Lara Islinger about the diverse world of community networks in the US, the creation and evolution of the Red Transfronteriza  (a cross-border Mexico-based network guiding Americans through abortions), and how abortion accompaniment and mutual aid can be used as a tool for political strategy.   Lara Islinger  (she/her) is grad student and abortion activist. Her r...