Defending a Choice for Women: A Feminist Video Ethnography

Beverly Yuen Thompson, Ph.D.

Florida International University

Introduction

Involvement with Miami clinic access project (MCAP) Historic abortion restrictions Contemporary abortion issues The pro-life movement The pro-choice movement Clinic defense Defending a choice for women: A feminist video

ethnography Reproductive rights classroom education

Miami Clinic Access Project (MCAP)

A Choice for Women clinic Priests for Life and local

Catholic churches, majority Spanish speakers

MCAP older, white activists and WS students

Women’s studies program has connection to MCAP

Every Saturday 6-11a.m. for six months of fieldwork and interviews

Intro to WS student involvement

Miami Clinic Access Project (MCAP): Video Clip

0:30 min.

Historic Abortion Restrictions

From female midwives to the American Medical Association (AMA)

New laws based on British common law, banning abortion after quickening

1821-first abortion law in Connecticut; by 1890, every state had regulations

Historic Eugenics Programs

Between 1900-1960, for African American and Native American women, they faced forced sterilization (45k-60k) (CA accounts for 1/3)

Buck v. Bell, Supreme Court decision in Virginia that upheld involuntary sterilization (1927)

Margaret Sanger’s Birth Control Federation had “Negro Project” (1939), promoted eugenics practices

Abortion and Contraception legalized 1960 FDA approved the pill 1965 Griswold v.

Connecticut- married couples have access to pill

1967 President Johnson approves $20m contraceptive programs

1973 Roe v. Wade-legalize abortion through privacy

1973-1977-gov’t pays for 1/3 of all abortions (294,600 in 1977)

1977 Hyde Amendment denies use of Medicaid for abortion (1977, fewer than 2,500 abortions covered)

Contemporary Abortion Issues:Legal but restricted

Between 1.3 & 1.5m abortions performed

14% of US counties have an abortion provider

24 hour waiting period Parental consent Informed of abortion impact,

fetal development Required sonograms Only 12% of obgyn medical

programs require abortion training

2/3 of providers over age 65

Abstinence Only Education

Government spends over $1 billion over last decade Global gag rule Under Governor Bush, Texas had most stringent abstinence

only education, and also was #1 in teenage birthrate (2000) Abstinence only education proven to be notoriously ineffective

The Pro-Life Movement

Religious movement against pre-marital sex, abortion, contraception, and sex education

Political movement fighting on grassroots-national-international fronts At clinics: “rescues” and “sidewalk counseling” Movement has had violent extremists that conduct damage to clinics

and the murder of seven individuals

The Pro-Life Movement: Video Clip

Although “pro-life” they are still pro-war and pro-death penalty and do not support social programs that assist women and children

1:21 min.

The Pro-Choice Movement

Feminist movement to defend women’s right to control their bodies

Defending abortion/contraception rights and protecting women’s health and access

Defending clinics as escorts

Defending a Choice for Women

23 minute documentary useful for community and classroom organizing

Provides a visual reference of the situation

Chapters: – Pro-life movement

– Clinic defense

– Catholics on all sides

– Women’s testimonies

– Student education

Conclusion: Reproductive Rights Classroom Education Video

For Intro to Women’s Studies, the student attend a feminist event and write a short paper about it. Many chose to visit and write about the clinic defense.

1:03 min.