The Anti-Abortion Movement Is in Crisis Communications Mode

The anti-choice movement’s decision to focus their messaging on crisis pregnancy centers—both in the streets of Washington and the halls of Congress—in response to mounting evidence that abortion bans cause women severe harms reflects the movement’s longtime public relations strategy for navigating political obstacles and bad publicity. With daily reports of horrific abortion-ban injuries, polls repeatedly showing that most Americans oppose abortion bans, and the political reality that abortion rights have won in every state where they’ve been on the ballot, anti-abortion strategists are not eager to remind the public of their plans to criminalize all abortion, or of the consequences.

Far-Right Players Behind Latest Attacks on Abortion in Emergencies

In April, the nation’s highest Court will hear a pair of cases that will determine whether the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) preempts state laws that impede emergency abortions needed to protect the health of pregnant people even if they are not on the brink of death. 

Both of these cases have ties to the main anti-abortion zealots that helped overturn Roe: Leonard Leo and Alliance Defending Freedom. 

How the Anti-Abortion Movement Weaponizes Language

With misleading and anti-scientific phrases like “pro-life,” “late-term abortions” and “abortion up until the point of birth,” anti-abortion advocates prey on the public’s lack of familiarity with medical terminology and stoke emotional responses in order to demonize abortion care and those who seek and provide it.

These phrases cause tremendous harm, and the media outlets covering this language without a check are amplifying the damage. Those in need of abortion care are forced to navigate the stigma and lies forced on them by the preponderance of misinformation and bias when making their healthcare decisions.

Inside an Abortion Clinic Invasion

At 9:05 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020, a group of anti-abortion extremists from at least six states forced their way into the Washington Surgi-Clinic, a facility that provides abortion care in Washington, D.C.

This article reveals, for the first time, how a violent clinic invasion was planned and executed. It is based on testimony by Davis, forensic analysis by FBI agents of the defendants’ social media and cell phone records, footage obtained from the clinic’s security cameras and responding police officers’ body cameras, as well as the extremists’ own Facebook livestream of what they interchangeably called a “lock-and-block” and a “rescue” (a term coined by anti-abortion extremists to mean physically preventing women from obtaining abortion care). (This article originally appears in the Winter 2024 issue of Ms. Join the Ms. community today and you’ll get issues delivered straight to your mailbox!)

California Brings First-of-its-Kind Lawsuit Against Anti-Abortion Movement’s ‘Abortion Pill Reversal’ Scheme

California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s lawsuit charges RealOptions Obria, a five-site crisis pregnancy center chain in Northern California, and the Ohio-based Heartbeat International with violating California’s False Advertising Law and Unfair Competition law by falsely advertising “abortion pill reversal” as safe and effective.

“Those who are struggling with the complex decision to get an abortion deserve support and trustworthy guidance—not lies and misinformation,” Bonta said at a press conference announcing the lawsuit.

How Anti-Abortion Centers Teach Sex Ed Inside Public Schools: ‘They Just Tried to Scare Us’

Crisis pregnancy centers—which counsel women against getting abortions—began to pop up in the late ’60s, as states passed laws legalizing abortion. Today, Texas has the most crisis pregnancy centers of any state.

These groups’ sex ed efforts are widespread: More than 35 of these centers are involved in dozens of school districts across Texas. Within these programs—offered for free to school districts—students are taught if they have sex before marriage, emotional risks include depression, guilt and anxiety. They’re taught that condoms do not keep them safe from pregnancy or STDs. These approaches aren’t effective in preventing or changing behavior. Instead, they can cause students to stop absorbing information that might help them make informed decisions about sex in the future. 

We Need Courageous Leaders Who Stand Up to Anti-Abortion Extremists

Our political leaders must stand up to the intimidation tactics of the anti-abortion movement. They must not cower when faced with blood-soaked letters, condemnations to damnation or threats of frivolous lawsuits. If we cave in to their tactics, we embolden them. Now more than ever before, we need courageous leaders at the national, state and local levels of government who will stand up to anti-abortion bullies.

War on Women Report: 14 States With Total Abortion Bans; Maternal Mortality Doubled Since 1999; Anti-Abortion Clinic Sued for Failing to Treat Ectopic Pregnancy

U.S. patriarchal authoritarianism is on the rise, and democracy is on the decline. But day after day, we stay vigilant in our goals to dismantle patriarchy at every turn. The fight is far from over. We are watching, and we refuse to go back. This is the War on Women Report.

This month: Total bans abortion bans are in effect in 14 states; a Massachusetts lawsuit alleges that a local anti-abortion crisis pregnancy center failed to spot an ectopic pregnancy; Dr. Caitlin Bernard fined $3,000 and formally reprimanded in a hearing lasting over 15 hours; in Maine paid and family medical leave become law; domestic abusers are using abortion bans to harm their victims; and more.