Liberal magazine writer ‘grateful’ for Thanksgiving abortions

As Americans gathered around the dinner table with loved ones this Thanksgiving, a liberal magazine shared stories of women saying they’re grateful they’ve had abortions.

The Nation published an article on Thursday morning entitled “We are thankful for our abortions”. In it, writer Nikiya Natale interviews women who say that having an abortion (in some cases more than one) has given them opportunities in life they otherwise would not have had.

Countering those who say they’re pro-choice but that abortions shouldn’t be celebrated, the author insists she’s grateful “for both of my abortions.” She says her abortions allowed her to plan a pregnancy and have a child on her own terms.

Another New Jersey woman tells her that multiple abortions allowed her to finish college and start a small business.

“I am deeply grateful that I was able to make a decision that was good for me,” she says.

Another Virginia woman says she was so grateful for the safe abortion treatment she received that she returned to the clinic two weeks later and applied for a job. She told staff that she wanted to be “someone’s person” to help patients who have been conflicted over the “stigma against multiple abortions.”

“From there I realized I needed to celebrate my life and my abortions and how grateful I was for every abortion I had,” she says, lamenting, “Why can’t there be an abortion narrative where people are happy and have a choice? , and created the life they wanted?”

Another Los Angeles woman says she received two abortions — one from a toxic relationship and the other after her first child, when she realized the “full-time responsibility and economic implications of raising a child.”

A Texas woman says she had her first abortion at 21 and her second after becoming pregnant eight years later. She says that while her first abortion gave her opportunities she otherwise wouldn’t have had, she still didn’t want to be a mother.

“I was struggling with morning sickness and the realization that part of me still believed abortion should be justified,” she says.

The women offered advice on how to break the news to loved ones who may be anti-life. One said it’s best not to worry about “being gentle with others and focusing more on trusting ourselves.”

Since the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision in late June, which reversed the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion at the federal level, abortion has taken a large place in the national discourse.

The Democratic Party lacks the power to enshrine abortion rights in federal law, having just lost the House of Representatives to the Republicans. That puts the abortion debate squarely on states to navigate and revise the patchwork of laws that have been in place since Roe.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.