Clare Molnar is on a mission. She is intent on dismantling what she calls a “culture of shame and secrecy” that surrounds abortion. And she’s doing it one conversation at a time. 

“I talk about my abortions almost every day,” says Molnar, who had the word ‘abortion’ and a heart tattooed on her arm to spur conversations.  

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Her story, and the need to remove from the books dozens of Michigan laws that severely restrict access to abortion in our state, is highlighted in a new video just released by the ACLU of Michigan. The way Ms. Molnar sees it, the laws – which include a 24-hour waiting period, the mandatory presentation of medically biased information, and parental consent – implicitly send the harmful and false message that there is something inherently bad about this common medical procedure.  

Storytelling: The Story of Self, Story of Us, Story of Now

Wednesday, May 17, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. 

Learn the importance of storytelling in reproductive justice advocacy and learn best practices for using your story to motivate others to fight for this fundamental right. Once you’ve built your story of self, you’ll have a chance to practice sharing your story while phone-banking to talk to Michigan voters and asking them to contact their lawmakers about expanding access to abortion care in Michigan.

Register Here

Ms. Molnar, who had an abortion by choice at age 17, and was advised by her doctors to have another five years later, knows that whatever the reason, abortion care is vital. She also knows that, even if abortion is legal, that means little if laws remain that stifle access to care. That is especially true for marginalized communities, including Black, Brown, and Indigenous people, people with disabilities, people living on low incomes, LGBTQ+ people, young people, and people living in rural areas – all of whom are disproportionately harmed by the current laws. 

Which is why Ms. Molnar is urging you to attend our webinar series, where you will find out how to advocate for abortion access on May 17 and May 23, via Zoom, from 6-8 p.m. We, along with Ms. Molnar, hope to see you there to keep the momentum for reform going so that anyone anywhere in Michigan has access to abortion care. 

When it comes to securing access to abortion for all Michiganders, telling our personal stories is critical. These individual narratives, especially when used collectively, can be a powerful way to help convince lawmakers that, even with the passage of the Reproductive Freedom for All ballot measure last year, much work remains to ensure that anyone in Michigan who needs an abortion this medical procedure can access it.  

My story as an abortion rights advocate began when I started working for the ACLU of Michigan 15 years ago. Even though public opinion has long showed that a majority of Michiganders support the right to abortion, anti-abortion politicians in the state Legislature were relentless in their quest to ban abortion. Year after year they continued to thwart the public will by passing a litany of laws intended to make accessing abortion care as difficult and out of reach as possible. These restrictions, which have nothing to do with medical care and everything to do with politics, have created a web of barriers that push safe and affordable abortion care out of reach, especially for people struggling to make ends meet, young people, rural residents, Black people, Indigenous people, and other people of color.  

When U.S. Supreme Court did what was once unthinkable to many and overturned Roe v. Wade last year, Michiganders immediately organized to take back their power by propelling Proposal 3 to a landmark victory and helping put a majority that supports abortion rights in both chambers of the Michigan Legislature. 

Attend our upcoming event:

Storytelling: The Story of Self, Story of Us, Story of Now

Wednesday, May 17, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. 
Online (Zoom)

Register Here

People across the state have made it clear: We support access to abortion. It’s time that our laws and policies reflect our values. We must now push our lawmakers to keep the progress going by repealing dozens of state laws that are blocking access to abortion.  

To learn how you can use your personal narrative to help make that happen, attend the virtual webinar, Storytelling: The Story of Self, Story of Us, Story of Now, being held Wednesday, May 17, from 6-8 p.m. Please join us to help keep the narrative of positive change going. 

Sincerely, 

Merissa Kovach