To all of the pro-choice people who heard me identify as “pro-life” at one point, I owe you a big apology because you were right about everything. Identifying as “pro-life” is something I never should have identified with because I didn’t fully grasp the magnitude of it or the entire definition. I also hope I never applied it in any way that caused moral injury, but I think I have before.
Until the overturning of Roe v. Wade, which is something I didn’t think was possible, I didn’t understand that identifying as pro-life meant an anti-abortion extremism in all circumstances, or at least I didn’t understand this would be expected of those who identified as “pro-life.” I also came to understand recently that Roe v. Wade is attached to many other hard-earned civil rights which have occurred over 60 years. I then found my way to the pro-choice laity majority in the Catholic Church which is 65% of American Catholics. These Catholics are mostly moderates on the subject of abortion who I identify with, yet they are still pro-choice. The pro-choice majority in the Catholic Church taught me that even believing in any abortion restriction whatsoever but not supporting the overturning of Roe v. Wade is still technically a pro-choice position. I didn’t know until recently that there are a range of pro-choice positions until I found the Catholic pro-choice majority who taught me otherwise. It is why I should have never identified as “prolife” or applied this title in any way. The pro-choice majority in the Catholic Church is also part of the social justice/Catholic Social Teaching arm, and only 8% of the Catholic Church supported the overturning of Roe v. Wade when it happened. Yet, this minority still exerted their power and achieved the draconian abortion bans they wanted through Trump.
I learned the hard way through the pro-choice majority that the Catholic hierarchy, their far-right aligned laity, and the Evangelical right wing in our country are the reasons Roe v. Wade was overturned which is a devastating thing for the women in this country. Trump abortion bans are deadly to many women, and they won’t stop unless they are legally retracted.
I have been publishing articles over the last five years about the evolution of my views and related actions regarding social issues. This of course has been accompanied with a great deal of pushback from the extreme minority right. If I contributed to the overturning of Roe v Wade in anyway, I will never forgive myself. On the other hand, I give myself a very small amount of credit for opening my eyes and starting my writing and publishing journey when I did. I didn’t understand that by me never supporting the overturning of Roe v Wade, I should have never associated myself with any entity that calls itself “prolife” because I think it has always been aligned with anti-abortion extremism and no other reasonable variation. I am thankful I came in late into the progressive prolife movement (which was short-lived), and I have served people with disabilities for most of my career. The moment I knew that anti-abortion extremists always wanted the overturing of Roe v Wade, I had better find other religious and non-religious good people who never supported overturning it because anti-abortion extremism led to Trump abortion bans.
I express this to you because if I hurt any of you in any way, I am sorry, and God taught me a valuable lesson for those who believe in God. Breaking away from the GOP and becoming a Democrat was a conversion experience within itself because it gave me the ability to become LGBTQ+ affirming, a better parent, and a more loving and more inclusive human being. I know that my views don’t align with the Catholic hierarchy, but neither does 65% of the American Catholic Church. Right-winged Catholics, you are more than welcome to report my developed views to my local Bishop because I am sharing this article with him, and I align with the majority of American Catholics.
If pro-choice people can forgive me for not understanding all of this sooner, I appreciate that. If not, I understand.
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