I start this opinion piece by recognizing and stating that as someone who identifies as a man, it is not my job, responsibility or right to regulate a woman’s body, yet I continue to see women’s bodies constantly up for discussion and control by men.

I cannot call myself an ally as that must be earned, but in my efforts to utilize the privilege I have as a man in a society dominated by sexism, I hope that my message will resonate with other young men in what role they will choose to play in the empowerment of women, especially Black women and women of color, as reproductive rights is racial justice in my opinion. So, when I read the Trapeze opinion piece by News Editor and OPRF student Jackson Hassler, I felt the need to respond. As a member of a marginalized group (Black), who doesn’t identify as a Democrat or Republican, I believe the systemic nuances that lead to the direct and purposeful need of laws that protect the rights of women and hopefully lead to greater empowerment of women, reveal that reproductive rights not only are a racial justice issue, but also a class issue, gender issue, ability issue, and health issue, as all the issues addressed by a woman having the right to choose are interconnected.

As the abortion debate continues with states like Mississippi looking to challenge Roe v. Wade, what I find interesting is that while pro-life proponents support “heartbeat bills” that would ban abortions at six weeks (often before a woman knows she’s pregnant), at six weeks, we are talking about an embryo that cannot qualify as a fetus until the 10th week. In my opinion, terms like “heartbeat,” and “unborn baby,” are utilized to create a narrative that often misleads and misguides to further erode the rights of women.

While Jackson’s opinion piece states that as a community and society, a lot is done to support the marginalized, when it comes to utilizing that point to bolster a pro-life argument, I must disagree.

If a woman is forced to deliver, based on my personal experiences as a teacher and nonprofit director that fundraises for and supports mothers and families in need, I believe not nearly enough support exists. Many proponents of pro-life are not in support of universal health care, daycare, free tuition/college assistance programs, FMLA, a living wage, police reform, mental health support, and other social service programs that would support a mother and family once a baby is born, particularly Black mothers and other mothers of color. Where are the pro-life advocates when we see Black and Brown children disproportionately being impacted by economic and social disparities? “

For these reasons, I do not believe most individuals who support taking away a woman’s right to choose are ‘pro-life,’ they are actually ‘pro-birth,’ because once a baby is born, their concern for that child often dies.

Therefore, in my opinion, pro-life laws have never been about the children. Such laws are directly tied to a patriarchal system that enables men to control women’s bodies. Pro-life legislation targets the rights of all women, while disproportionately targeting the rights of poor women, Black women, Brown women, women of color, young women, rural women, and victims of rape. Not to mention that with the passing of such pro-life legislation, predominantly the only women who would have a healthy means to an abortion would be white women with financial resources.

We cannot live in or create a society with compassion for all, until we truly have compassion for women. For these reasons and more, abortion isn’t a debate for me, as abortion rights are human rights and as a man, making choices for women is a right I don’t have.