Jessica Valenti of Abortion Every Day decodes the right-wing terms that are suddenly everywhere
Words carry weight. You know that, we know that, and anti-abortionists know that too—which is why they’ve spent years twisting phrases inside and out in an effort to demonize basic healthcare. And their made-up terms, from “post-birth abortion” to “abortion in the water,” often make it unchecked into mainstream media and even laws.
It’s time to fight fallacies with facts.
In partnership with Jessica Valenti and Abortion Every Day, we’ve created the Anti-Abortion Glossary series. Drawing on her years covering the anti-abortion movement, she breaks down key terms—where they come from, and what to say instead.
These videos, shared first on Instagram, are a master class in what we need to know to continue advocating for our health and our autonomy. Watch and share, and keep in touch via Instagram or the Abortion Every Day substack.
Conservatives are using the term “abolition” to justify the imprisonment of people who get abortions. And this “equal protection” thinking is sneaking into legislation.
There is absolutely no evidence to support that there are aborted fetuses in our water supply. But that hasn’t stopped conservatives from lying about it.
Laws against so-called “abortion coercion” aren’t about protecting women at all.
In some states, anti-abortion activists are posing as “prenatal counselors,” offering harmful advice to parents-to-be. Why? Jessica explains.
Anti-abortion groups claim that laws forcing patients to carry nonviable pregnancies to term are simply efforts to protect “children with disabilities.” That’s disinformation.
“Maternal-fetal separation” is not a medical concept. It’s a term invented by political extremists eager to justify forcing people with life-threatening pregnancies to give birth.
What’s the difference between a national ban and a “minimum national standard?” Optics.
The true and disturbing backstory that explains the false, and continuing, charge of “post-birth abortion.”
This series is produced by The Meteor and is supported by The Meteor Fund, an affiliated project of The Meteor, which is fiscally sponsored by the Social Impact Fund. Produced with support from Pop Culture Collaborative.
Executive Producers:
Tara Abrahams, Cindi Leive, and Jessica Valenti
Season 1:
Director/Producer: Amy Elliott
Producer: Annie Venezia
Director of Photography: Stephanie Gaweda
Audio: Camille Corric
Grip: Ian Moran
Production Assistants: Cassidy Howard, Jeffrey Laraichi
Editor: Dana Cataldo
Season 2:
Director: Amy Elliott
Producer: Annie Venezia
Writer: Kylie Cheung
Director of Photography: Stephanie Gaweda
Audio: Nil Tiberi
Grip: Ian Moran
Production Assistant: Cassidy Howard
Editors: Dana Cataldo, Emily Murnane
