Planned Parenthood | Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota Action Fund

 
by Emily

Web Correspondent
Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota Action Fund

If you read Jennifer Baumgardner's bio, you realize she's a big name in the feminist movement. She's written books, made documentaries and was even the youngest editor of MS magazine. But in Fargo North Dakota, she's also a hometown hero.
Baumgardner was raised here and when she returned Monday July 28th to read from her latest book, "Abortion and Life," she was met by a large crowd of fans at downtown bookstore, Zanbroz. I purchased the book and it looks fascinating. Much like Baumgardner's riveting documentary, "I had an abortion" the book includes women's personal stories (accompanied by portraits) about abortion. Baumgardner spoke to the crowd about the extraordinary letters she received when she began writing on this topic.


Jennifer Baumgardner is a huge inspiration to aspiring professional feminists (like myself) because she truly paved her own way. She wasn't afraid to make powerful statements and take risks. In this next video you hear her speak about how an experience she had at 15—helping her older sister pay for an abortion --- rallied her to feminist activism which then led to the "I had an abortion" t-shirt.


When Baumgardner decided to make a documentary about women's abortion stories, she knew she'd have to raise money. She found a filmmaker who told her she could make a ten-minute, bare bones piece (no flashy sounds, cuts or archive footage) for $3500. So Baumgardner wrote mission letters to friends back in Fargo and talked to people she knew could help. It was nerve-wracking bringing up a controversial topic, but she received plenty of support from people in Fargo (a town she once feared was too conservative). When she did receive a critical letter, she took the time to respond, not defensively but humbly. That person eventually wrote a letter back, thanking Baumgardner for her mature reaction and willingness to hear criticism. There was also a check enclosed.

Eventually the bare-bones "I had an Abortion" documentary became 55 minutes long and garnered rave reviews. Right now the film is distributed through Women Make Movies with prices fixed for universities rather than individuals. Someday the documentary will be more readily available, perhaps even on Netflix, but in the meantime, if you are interested in viewing it, you can e-mail  

The documentary was sometimes met with protests but at one viewing, an anti-choicer got more than he bargained for. He stood up to address Baumgardner and said, "I'm a youth pastor and I had never thought of the women's perspective before. I feel compassion for those experiences."
Moments like that one helped Baumgardner realize the power of truth telling. Think about it --  Have you ever been able to speak with women in your life (friends, sisters, grandmothers, aunts)  about their lives - the miscarriages, births, unplanned pregnancies, abortions etc? For so long those things were absolutely NOT discussed. Even today, abortion tends to be a guarded secret we don't share with even the closest friends. Baumgardner pointed out that when women tell the truth about their lives, we learn where the movement needs to go. For example, Margaret Sanger led the fight to legalize birth control when it became obvious that women were encountering serious health problems from pregnancy after pregnancy.

After reading from the book, Baumgardner took questions from the crowd and also did book signing. There was a wine and cheese reception where we were encouraged to toast to reproductive rights and our state's only abortion provider, the Red River Women's Clinic. All in all, it was a thrilling night.

The book "Abortion and Life" is not yet released but can be purchased on Amazon or other retailers. Ten percent of proceeds from the book go to NYAAF (the New York Abortion Access Fund) which helps women pay for abortion procedures.

 

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