Martha Plimpton has never shied away from sharing her viewpoints on abortion.
Plimpton, star of ABC comedy The Real O’Neils, made waves recently by wearing a dress with the word “abortion” printed all over it, spaced out with hearts. The dress was designed by the creator of the #ShoutYourAbortion movement and hashtag, Amelia Bonow. It can be purchased on the PAOM website.
Plimpton is a proud supporter of the movement, and is the co-founder of the reproductive rights group “A Is For…“. She told ABC News last October the significance behind the letter “A” in her organization’s name:
“It can be ‘autonomy.’ It can be ‘abortion.’ It can be ‘absolute’ freedom,” she said. “We want women to feel empowered, to not feel stigmatized and not feel shamed and not feel isolated when they make the decisions that are right for them in regards to their bodies.”
Plimpton herself has had two abortions, which she credits with being able to pursue her dreams and her career:
“I feel that my ability to access that kind of medical care made it possible for me to live out my dreams and do what I really wanted to do with my life,” she said. “I think being able to choose when or if you have a family is central to a person’s ability to experience true equality as a citizen.”
I believe it was young Hermione Granger who once said, “Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself.” #ShoutYourAbortion and Plimpton’s dress attempt to take the stigma out of the word and remind us that having an abortion is not a shameful act. For many women, it is a fact of life, and a common one at that: the Guttmacher Institute reports that 30% of U.S. women will have an abortion by age 45. Wearing dresses that say “abortion” and sharing your story on a hashtag can seem like radical acts, but are they? To me, they serve as reminders of how far we have yet to go to shed the repressive and reactionary attitudes towards sex in this country.
images of Martha Plimpton via her Instagram
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