Faye Ginsburg, Procreation Stories. The Subject of Abortion: Fargo, ND, 1981

1. Fargo is NOT NY

1.1. Fargo Women's Health Center: First Public Center to Offer Abortions

1.2. Community heavily involved with Christianity

1.3. Pro Lifers Fought to Close the Women's Clinic

2. Abortion Activists, Anti-Abortion Activists: BROAD Spectrum of identities.

2.1. Fargo Pro-Choicers: Born in the '40's, came of age in the late '60's-early '70's, influenced by 2nd wave of feminism.

2.2. Pro-Lifers Born in the '50's: Influenced by experience, originally independent women who worked, left workforce to raise families, radically changed by the birth of a first or second child, this resulted in their Pro-Life stance.

3. Many Factors Influence Women's Stance on Abortion

3.1. Biological

3.2. Historical

3.3. Personal

3.4. Societal

4. Pro-Choice Does Not Mean Anti-Family

4.1. Pro Abortion Activists are not without values of family, community, unloving, or godless.

4.2. Pro Life VS Pro Choice is a complex battle

4.3. Pro Life does not necessarily (always) mean anti-woman

5. Abortion: About Families

5.1. Many people who abortions have families, and they consider the necessary means to provide and care for them, without adding an additional mouth to feed and nurture.

5.2. Enables women to choose if/ when/ how/ how many children they want

5.3. About allowing families to choose how big or small their families are

6. Raising Children

6.1. Costs a lot of money; currently around $250,000 per child from birth to age 18, with modest estimates.

6.2. Takes a lot of hard work

6.3. Takes a lot of time

6.4. Needs many resources

6.5. Alter one's lifestyle

6.6. Cause parents to reevaluate goals

7. Women's Fertility: The Ultimate Gender Battleground

7.1. Natural Birth & Breastfeeding as Feminist Topics

7.2. Women's Rights extend big time into birth choices and knowledge.

7.3. Access to Birth Control not a right

7.4. Some Pro-Life women see pregnancy as sacred, one of the last domains women had free of male control

8. Abortion: BIG Feminist Issue

8.1. Attack on Women's Rights

8.2. Control Over Reproduction

8.2.1. Attempt to Force Women into Christian Values, Lifestyle, Gender Roles

8.3. Abortion viewed as narcissistic

8.4. Abortion: Discussion of Nurturing Roles and Gender Responsibility

9. Abortion Becomes a Subject of Personal Identity

9.1. What are the stories behind the women who have abortions? Who are these women, and what were their reasons?

9.2. Who are the women? What are the stories of Pro Life women of this community in modern times. If you are a modern woman, how can you be against allowing your fellow women in their RIGHT TO CHOOSE?

9.3. Can you be a feminist and be Pro-Life?

9.4. Can you be Pro Choice and avoid being classified in a certain way?

10. Women & Reproductive Politics

10.1. Is it really about 'Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom?'

10.2. Are women's bodies property of the state?

10.3. How much jurisdiction does the government have in staking claim over the right of choice, and how women govern their bodies?

10.4. How an politics determine how women decide how their families are formed?