Abortion supporters say 'Bans Off Our Bodies' at rally Saturday

In the shadow of Abilene's City Hall, Tina Burgoyne, who came to Abilene from Massachusetts, told those gathered for the Abilene "Bans Off Our Bodies Rally," that she and her now-husband had an abortion when the contraception they used to prevent pregnancy failed.

"We did what we were supposed to do," Burgoyne said to roughly 80 people gathered for the rally, organized as part of a national day of action prompted by a leak from the Supreme Court indicating a desire to overturn Roe v. Wade.

"We were young, and we knew that it was not the right choice to bring that child into the world," she said. "We didn't know we were going to stay together, we didn't know what what our stability was going to be like."

Her choice to have an abortion, Burgoyne said, "was the best decision we ever made."

"I have no regrets," she said. "I have no trauma over it."

The couple has chosen to not have children, though they may adopt or foster at some point.

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Sending a message

The rally was described by organizers as a way to "send a message" to the Supreme Court to "protect nearly half a century’s worth of legal precedent established by Roe and the progress for women’s (and LGBTQ) rights that followed."

It also was described as a way to send an invitation to those in the community "on the opposite end of the ideological divide to work with us to fight the issues that make abortion necessary," rather than fight.

Participants carried signs with slogans such as "Proud to be pro-choice," "Why go backwards?" "I am human, not livestock," "Women's rights are human rights," "Separation of church and state," and "Abortion bans are pro-poverty & pro-inequality, not pro-life."

Organizer Elizabeth Smyser, who also is charwoman of Abilene's Democratic Party, said the time had come to build a massive social justice movement, and those at the rally were those who would need to be called upon to make it happen.

"We believe all people deserve access to abortion and reproductive care, that this is an issue that affects all of us," she said. "Not just some of us, regardless of the affiliations or opinions that often separate us. We may believe different things, but we are all equally affected by this important human rights issue."

Concerns raised

Several speakers said they were particularly concerned that both Texas' "Heartbeat Law," which bans abortions after about six weeks, and a local ordinance voters will tackle in November to decide if Abilene is a "sanctuary city for the unborn," will have no exceptions for rape or incest.

Many expressed the opinion that banning abortion would not stop abortion, but it would remove the option for safe abortions in a medical facility.

Several other speakers shared personal stories of abortions stemming from abusive relationships, rape or other traumatic family or life events.

Some at the rally did not use their full names, or wish to comment publicly afterward, out of fear of retaliation or loss of a job.

Sad necessity

Samantha Morrow, who previously spoke at a rally in October, said she is conservative and was initially hesitant to speak, as she believes the Supreme Court should be "immune from populist opinion."

But “regardless of what happens in the Supreme Court," a decision will be rendered, and "our neighbors are still going to be in need of resources," Morrow said.

Morrow's perspective is “abortion is one of the saddest necessities of our world.”

“If we could work toward addressing and eradicating the issues that make abortion necessary, that should be the goal,” she said. “But I've always been a conservative. Republicans have historically stood on the ground of individual liberty and limited government intrusion and private affairs. And so I believe pretty squarely, that it's not a choice that I would make, but that it is not my job or the job of the government to make that choice for somebody.”

Nikki Ramirez, who herself has had an abortion, said she felt that the right to an abortion being taken away if Roe vanishes is "at this point just a personal attack."

"I am a birth control user," Ramirez said. "I have had an abortion myself. And it's just something that I feel everyone should have the right and access to."

Ramirez, who said she has several younger siblings, said she wanted them to have that option, if needed.

"I would hate for any of them to be forced into a situation that they would not want to be in," she said. "I have brothers and sisters, and I just want everyone to have the choice."

Show up

Several men spoke, including Joey Devora, who said he was there to "stand up for women all across America," including those who died in emergency rooms and back alleys from "botched, illegal abortions," or for those never given a choice at all.

"There are fundamental rights that are, in a sense, just being made illegal," he said, advocating those present vote against the sanctuary city petition in November.

"If you don't show up, these people will let this happen. And once they take those rights away, who are they going to come toward next?" he said. "Are we going to go backward, or are we going to continue moving forward into the future?"

Several participants were there representing the LGTBQIA community, also arguing for the need for proper, compassionate access to reproductive rights, while others present said they have been advocating for women for decades and didn't want to see what they regard as a fundamental right erased.

Other perspectives

Not everyone at the rally was there to participate, while some stood on the other side of the issue.

Former Abilene City Council candidate Charles Byrn and Jim Sulliman, both vocal antiabortion supporters, stood with their own signs, Byrn's showing a graphic depiction of an aborted fetus.

Further down the way, a trio of walkers held a single sign and recited the Our Father/Lord’s Prayer while doing a circuit back and forth in front of the building. A man wearing a “Let’s Go Brandon” T-shirt watched for a while from the street, but did not engage protesters.

Byrn said that those gathered the rally didn't have any points that were valid.

"You hear them talking about all these adoption issues, where have they been in this fight?" he said. "All they do is talk."

Pointing at his sign, Byrn said "this is an abomination."

"For 50 years, we've had to put up with this," he said. "They think 'my body, my choice.' When that baby is inside of you, it's not your body anymore. That's that child's body."

Sulliman said there were some "very, very good people" at the rally, and said he agreed with the need to "do everything in the world that we can to avoid the necessity of abortion."

"But I also think there is staggering hypocrisy in what they say," he said, adding he has worked for women's rights in the past, including right to equal pay, and to help minorities.

Characterizing abortion as healthcare is in Sulliman's view "absolute insanity," as is any variant of "my body, my choice," since abortion affects the life of the unborn child.

"You can do whatever you want to do with your own body," he said. "But if what you do in any way affects someone else's body adversely, you can't."

Brian Bethel covers city and county government and general news for the Abilene Reporter-News. If you appreciate locally driven news, you can support local journalists with a digital subscription to ReporterNews.com.

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Abortion supporters say 'Bans Off Our Bodies' at rally Saturday