Jane's Due Process

[threeplusfire]

http://open.salon.com/blog/steelrigged/2009/06/02/i_helped_teenagers_get_secret_abortions

I know I am helping the right-wing make something private into something shameful by being discrete. But I don’t have a T.V. show, I don’t have security guards, all I have is the residual fear that somewhere there is a man with a gun, looking for our office, who is absolutely certain he has the right to shoot me, because I help teenagers get abortions.

Jane's Due Process - http://www.janesdueprocess.org/

I am thinking about volunteering for this group. I have no legal skills or training, but I do know how to talk to upset people on the phone. Of all the things I've done in my life, I am wondering if volunteering at clinics and for groups like this will be the most dangerous one. (My volunteer orientation for Planned Parenthood is next month)

I am also starting to wonder how this, and how my messy, complex gender identity crisis, will change my friendships and my life. My livejournal has not been exceptionally funny or lighthearted in the past couple weeks. If I feel some outrage fatigue on the subject, that probably goes double for anyone reading. Not to mention, is there a weird disconnect between identifying as male and being so wrapped up in the cause of women's rights over their reproductive health and choices? I don't know. Is it frivolous to be wishing I had a more gender neutral name at such a time? What am I going to say when someone does cut me out of their life because of all of this? Should I finally go ahead and take that hand gun class, get a concealed carry license?

It is strange, to feel all of this converging at once.

Comments

[wonderlandkat.livejournal.com]

I've been really upset about the subject but I'm not sure what to do- find out how to be an escort, what?

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

I started by doing a google search for all the providers in the city, and looked to see who had information available about volunteer opportunities. Planned Parenthood had orientation sessions so that seemed like a good way to start.

[delchi.livejournal.com]

It's not that hard. A little training and an orange vest. The training is important though - as is the ability to control yourself. I was a clinic escort back in the days of throwing red fake blood and fake fetus-in-a-jar at people.

[wonderlandkat.livejournal.com]

Oh, it was more "is being an escort the best/most useful thing to do" question. I've been reading "This Common Secret" and it strikes me that a lot of the petty laws thrown in are just as dangerous as the protestors.

[delchi.livejournal.com]

For me, the first time a woman looked me in the face, and said 'Thank you' as I shielded her from the people throwing things and hate at her as she walked to the front door convinced me that it was the right thing to do.

As far as the laws go, yes it's tricky - and that's what the training is for. Still, for the most part if you put yourself physically in the way of the protester, back turned to them while protecting and escorting your assigned person , there's not much that they can throw at you. It's mostly common sense and street sense. You don't yell back at them , you don't engage them, you NEVER attack back. Your #1 responsibility is the safety of the person you are escorting - because in most cases ( but not all ) they are having enough of a time just by the fact that they are there ( for whatever reason ) to think clearly.

Orange vest, thick gloves, goggles , combat boots. Although I have to admit I had an advantage as I am male , and rather large. More often than not protesters would back down from just a dirty look.

It's not easy. You want to slap the book out of their hands, or shove them around. You want to yell at them , or sometimes when you see the tears and fear in the eyes of the person you are escorting you want to slap the living hell out of the protesters. You can't ever do that. The advantages you have are property lines, other escorts, and now more than before , police officers.

[wonderlandkat.livejournal.com]

I must have been on the super unclear juice last night. My question was really is being an escort the most effective thing that I can do or is there something more effective, like working to overturn 24 waiting periods or laws where the doctor has to say that abortion causes breast cancer when it doesn't. Basically, based on my skills and inclinations, what can I do that would be most useful in keeping abortion available to women.

I'm actualy leaning towards something else at this point because in my area, PP needs escorting only very early on Saturday mornings and I don't think that's something I could personally do well.

[delchi.livejournal.com]

Everything helps.

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

I think anything helps - perhaps the best way to decide is to look at your skills and your time. What can you do with them? What can you commit to, what is going to work best in your schedule?