Bill advertising abortion rights
A bill advertising abortion rights, a protest against the National Right-to-Life Convention in Anaheim June 28. From the Los Angeles Photographers Photo Collection, 1970.
Pro-choice demonstrators
Pro-choice demonstrators marching in Washington DC on 20 November 1970. 2.25 inch pin, emblem of the organization. Women's National Abortion Action Coalition (WONAAC) was established with the help of Socialist Workers Party members. worked in the pre-Roe v. Wade days to legalize abortion. In its nascent stage, WONAAC members were largely university students and left-wing groups. It expanded to include women from a diverse range of socioeconomic backgrounds. From Leif Skoogfors/Getty Images, 1970.
Pinback button WONAAC, San Francisco
Pinback button containing calls for “Repeal all abortion laws” and the March on San Francisco on November 20. The button was distributed by WONAAC, 1971.
Bill Judy Smith at the Reproductive Rights Conference
Judy Smith was an activist of in the Texas feminist movement. She poses here with her mother at the first Texas statewide Women’s Reproductive Rights conference at the University of Texas Student Union in Austin. The sign her mom holds states in handwritten words, “STOP using women for population control by killing them with coathanger abortions. REPEAL Abortion LAWS,” with a Venus symbol below the text. Courtesy of Alan Pogue, The Rag, 1971.
Women's Liberation button, blue and yellow
This is a blue and yellow button displaying the symbol for the Women's Liberation movement, a Venus symbol circumscribing a clenched fist. The object was bought from the Sisterhood Bookstore in Los Angeles around 1975. The Women’s Liberation movement, a part of the second-wave feminist movement, was active in the 1960s and 1970s. Its supporters fought for equal rights, opportunities, and personal freedom for women. Sisterhood Bookstore was more than just a bookstore in Los Angeles: it was a neighborhood hangout spot and community organizing center, constantly displaying bulletin boards with resources and events. It was a staple during the second-wave feminist movement with books by and for women on diverse subjects such as sexuality, pregnancy, lesbian literature, politics of health, and Chicana literature. It closed in 1999 when a branch of a bookstore chain, Borders, moved in across the street. Courtesy of Vivian Mayer, University of Connecticut Digital Collections, 1975.
Women's Liberation button, white and maroon
This is a white and maroon button displaying the symbol for the Women's Liberation movement, a Venus symbol circumscribing a clenched fist. Courtesy of Vivian Mayer, University of Connecticut Digital Collections, 1975.
Pro-Abortion Rally
Women carry a banner as they march down Pennsylvania Avenue to a pro-abortion rally, organized in response to an anti-abortion rally. Courtesy of the Religious News Service Archives of Tower News Service (New York, N.Y.), November 22, 1971.
WCVB Conference footage
News Conference broadcast on WCVB, a television station in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, owned by Hearst Television. Three underage girls who want to have an abortion, but can't get parental permission, speak with producer Bill Baird in the film (16 mm, footage length: 70 mins). The girls wear scarves around their heads for privacy protections. Baird and one of the girls speak about the issue. B-roll footage of the press conference. Courtesy of the WCVB Collection of Northeast Historic Film Collection, July 30, 1976.
Protesters at a Republican party hearing
Abortion-rights protesters at the 1972 Republican National Convention, a year before Roe v. Wade. Photo Courtesy of Bettmann Archive/Getty Images.
Letter to President Ford regarding bill banning Medicaid funding of abortion, recto
This notice to President Ford states that a bill banning Medicaid (federal) funding of abortion procedures has arrived on his desk. Proponent of the bill Kaye Pullen acknowledges that the argument of pro-abortion groups is that the ban is discriminatory because it disproportionately affects poor women seeking abortion procedures that are made possible financially through federal funds. The council for the creation of the bill makes sure that the purpose of the bill is stated as supporting abortion only in the case of family planning and emotional and social convenience of the mother. From the Betty Ford White House Papers, 1973 - 1977 collection of the First Lady General Subject Files, 1974 - 1977 series, courtesy of the Gerald R.Ford Presidential Library.
Letter to President Ford regarding bill banning Medicaid funding of abortion, verso
This notice to President Ford states that a bill banning Medicaid (federal) funding of abortion procedures has arrived on his desk. Proponent of the bill Kaye Pullen acknowledges that the argument of pro-abortion groups is that the ban is discriminatory because it disproportionately affects poor women seeking abortion procedures that are made possible financially through federal funds. The council for the creation of the bill makes sure that the purpose of the bill is stated as supporting abortion only in the case of family planning and emotional and social convenience of the mother. From the Betty Ford White House Papers, 1973 - 1977 collection of the First Lady General Subject Files, 1974 - 1977 series, courtesy of the Gerald R.Ford Presidential Library.
Abortion Clinic Houses Abortion Foe
A newspaper clipping from the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin dated May 6, 1977. Jean Neary set up a house that masquerades as an abortion clinic, only to send women antiabortion literature, a religious medal, and telephone calls once they’ve provided personal and contact information. Courtesy of the Bulletin (from the Jan to Jun 1977 Digital Collection).
Cover of Seventh Sister, Radcliffe's monthly magazine, December 1977 issue
Seventh Sister, a student-produced feminist magazine was producded in the basement of The Crimson at Harvard University. At the time, many students criticized the lack of sexual assault training for officers and campus policy regarding sexual harassment. The articles featured on the cover were titled “Rape: A Tradition of Men in Positions of Power” and “Will More Locks Help? How Students Can Stop Rape.” Betty A. Krier ’78, a co-author of both articles, said many women felt pressured to remain silent about their own experiences of sexual harassment. Courtesy of Schlesinger Library, Harvard Radcliffe Institute.
We Won't Choose Between Our Lesbianism and Our Children flier
Lesbian activists announce their march to protest against MediCal funding of abortions. The authors of the flier demand the right to choose when and if to have children. They also express a disdain for forced relations with men, stating that “Lesbians are exploding the myth that it is every woman’s natural role to take care of men for free.” Courtesy of the California Historical Society, San Francisco. An image is included on the flier, depicting a mother shrouded in shadow, her eyes closed, leaning against the sides of the wooden beams which separate her from her child. Her child’s arms are outstretched as if to reach her on the other side. Date estimate: 1978. Courtesy of The California Historical Society (CHS).
Welfare, Abortion, and the Right to Work flier
The informational flier details the value of MediCal funding for abortion and childcare, especially for Black women childcare workers and the families they aid. Cutting funding is highlighted as an attack on welfare reform, families, and already underprivileged communities. The flier was created and distributed by Wages for Housework San Francisco, a grassroots women's network campaigning for recognition and payment for all caring work. Date estimate: 1978. Courtesy of The California Historical Society (CHS).
Abortion rights supporters in downtown St. Louis
Kathy Jones marches with Janna, her 20-month-old child, in support of abortion rights in July 1978. Her sign displays, “We have the right to be wanted,” referring to the need for abortion in family planning. The pro-choice protest in downtown St. Louis was countered by an anti-abortion protest. Courtesy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch archive.
Abortion rights supporters in downtown St. Louis
People protesting for and against abortions stand off outside the Missouri governor's office in February 1978. David Flanders (left), an anti-abortion protester with the New Life Evangelical Conference, talks to Andrew Smither (right), a member of the Religious Coalition for Abortion Rights. Smither, a retired Presbyterian minister, holds up a sign stating the statistics for the majority portion of the American and Catholic American population that identifies as pro-choice. Courtesy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch archive.
Abortion Signers
Black women who are pro-abortion signed this petition in 1979, including their contact information and addresses to receive correspondence. Courtesy of the Oneida County Black History Archive.
May 1979 issue of Seventh Sister
This cover of Seventh Sister features a picture of its all-female staff. Courtesy of Schlesinger Library, Harvard Radcliffe Institute.
April 1979 issue of Seventh Sister
Another cover of one of Seventh Sister's monthly issues, highlighting the article "Asserting Reproductive Freedom.” Courtesy of Schlesinger Library, Harvard Radcliffe Institute.
Announces Late Abortion up to 28 weeks announcement
“Announces Late Abortion up to 28 weeks” is an advertisement for the services of the Abortion Rights Movement (ARM), a branch of the Women’s Liberation organization. These include aiding women who are seeking abortions, especially late term and third trimester abortions “when continued pregnancy is likely to result in death or impair a woman’s mental of physical heath…” Services offered included setting up appointments, accompanying the patient to appointments, driving the patient to housing, etc. Courtesy of the University of Connecticut digital archives.
Abortion Rights Movement of Women’s Liberation flier
This flier by the Abortion Rights Movement asserts that abortion rights are key to women’s liberation. It encourages readers, “friends” of the movement, to attend a demonstration on March 31.
NYPD Surveillance Body Camera Footage, Still 1 of 2
Body camera footage from the New York Police Department shows members of the Youth International Party protesting at the Democratic National Committee against abortion and homosexuality on 32nd Street and 7th Avenue. Protestors hold signs of anti-abortion sentiment with references to religious ideologies, such as “God hates hands that shed innocent blood.” Film: 16mm X 100' capacity (round). Courtesy of the New York Police Department, Bureau of Special Services and Investigations Logbook.
NYPD Surveillance Body Camera Footage, Still 2 of 2
Body camera footage from the New York Police Department shows members of the Youth International Party protesting at the Democratic National Committee against abortion and homosexuality on 32nd Street and 7th Avenue. Film: 16mm X 100' capacity (round). Courtesy of the New York Police Department, Bureau of Special Services and Investigations Logbook.
Medicaid Abortion fact sheet
Family Planning Advocates of New York State circulated this fact sheet as the cover page for a pamphlet criticizing the Harris v. McRae, 448 U.S. 297 (1980) Supreme Court decision, which upheld constitutionality of the original Hyde amendment. The sheet asserts that the federal government was “turning its back” on poor populations, forcing them to be at the mercy of state legislators.
Pro-choice supporter
Beverly Berman of the Pro-Choice Coalition pro-choice supporter hands out pinback buttons reading “Another Mother for Choice” at the Sherman Oaks Galleria. The sign beside her reads “In 1982, if you have a miscarriage you could be prosecuted for murder … abortion is something personal and political.” This highlights the stringent nature of some anti-abortion punishments in certain states, where women who experience miscarriage may be falsely accused of and punished for getting an abortion procedure. Dated May 10, 1981. Courtesy of Los Angeles Herald Examiner Photo Collection and photographer Dean Musgrove.
Cover for Time Magazine, 1981, by Alan E. Cober
Artist Alan E. Cober painted this cover for Time Magazine with watercolor and ink on paper. It measures 32.4cm x 24.7cm (12 3/4" x 9 3/4"). It emphasizes the dark, somber, and divisive nature of the abortion debate. It depicts two factions of people, pro-choice and pro-life groups, facing each other outside of the White House and holding signs stating their respective stances. In 1978, Time magazine donated around 800 works of original cover art to the National Portrait Gallery. Courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution.
National Abortion Rights button
A white button from the National Abortion Rights Action League of Connecticut depicts 'Never Again' in front of a coat hanger in red font. 'Safe & Legal Abortion for All Women' is displayed below in black font. The item was donated by Vivian Mayer in association with the National Abortion Rights Action League of Connecticut, 1981. Courtesy of University of Connecticut digital archives.
Draft Speech by John Mackey for Stephen Galebach
This draft speech, written by John Mackey, Special Councilman on the Ad Hoc Committee in Defense of Life, Inc., for Stephen H. Galebach, Esquire Office of Policy Development during Ronald Reagan’s presidency, contains edits to better address Catholic Bishops while acknowledging the abortion debate, November 5, 1982. Courtesy of the White House Office of Policy Development (Reagan Administration).
Draft Speech by John Mackey for Stephen Galebach
This draft speech, written by John Mackey, Special Councilman on the Ad Hoc Committee in Defense of Life, Inc., for Stephen H. Galebach, Esquire Office of Policy Development during Ronald Reagan’s presidency, contains edits to better address Catholic Bishops while acknowledging the abortion debate, November 5, 1982. Courtesy of the White House Office of Policy Development (Reagan Administration).
Summit Women’s Center West advertisement in Connecticut Daily Campus
Summit Women’s Center West advertisement in the October 4, 1982 Volume 86, Number 19 issue of Connecticut Daily Campus advertises free pregnancy tests, early detection blood tests, counseling and birth control supplies. The target audience is likely female students on campus.
Sacramento chapter of the National Organization for Women protest
The Sacramento chapter of the National Organization for Women picketed the Sacramento Republican headquarters protesting in reaction to news that President Ronald Reagan intended to reverse pro-choice abortion policies. Photographer: Michael Williamson. Courtesy of University of Connecticut Library.
Rocky Mountain College Abortion DebateRocky Mountain College Abortion Debate
A page in the Rocky Mountain Collegian contains pro and con views of abortion accompanying an article about the science of abortion. Courtesy of Pollyanna Hayes and Digital Collection Short (Kayann) Papers, 1984.
Pro-choice demonstrators
The photograph caption reads, "About 50 demonstrators marched outside the Roman Catholic Archdiocese chancery downtown yesterday to protest the church's stand against abortion. The rally, sponsored by the California chapter of the National Organization for Women, was one of many protests held nationwide on the Catholic feast day of Corpus Christ.” Dated June 9, 1985. Courtesy of Herald Examiner Collection, Mike Sergieff.
Radcliffe student demonstration, 1985
Radcliffe students demonstrate for abortion rights at the Government Center, 1985. After Roe, abortion rights activism, both for and against, remained a hallmark of Harvard’s student life on campus. After the Roe decision, Radcliffe women pushed to expand reproductive rights while other anti-abortion and abortion-rights groups held debates in dorm rooms, editorials, and public space. Courtesy of Debbie Rich via Schlesinger Library, Harvard Radcliffe Institute.
Abortion rights protest in CWE church
A group of abortion rights supporters met at a church in the Central West End in May 1985. The photo displays a sign that states, “We are your mothers, your daughters, your sisters, your friends and we are speaking out for our right to choose,” a statement that is staunchly pro-choice and emphasizes the large population of women affected by reproductive injustice. NARAL Pro-Choice America, founded in 1969, is a non-profit organization that advocates for expansion of reproductive rights through lobbying, political action, and advocacy efforts. Courtesy of Post-Dispatch archive.
John Zmirak and Yale students picket Planned Parenthood
John Zmirak ‘86 was a member of the Yale Student Pro-life Coalition and Party of the Right. He was one of about 50 protestors who picketed Planned Parenthood headquarters during the 13th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision. Published in The Yale Daily News, January 23, 1986. Courtesy of the YDN Archives.
Students to join national protest in Washington
The article, published in the Yale Daily News March 3, 1986 issue, communicates an estimate by Kirstie Dodge, ‘88, that 100 or more Yale students will join 200,000 protestors in the National March for Women’s Lives in Washington, D.C. Courtesy of the YDN Archives.
Abortion rights protestors, 1986
Abortion rights protesters march outside St. Louis University's student center during a Prolife Action Network national convention in April 1986. The signs explicitly counter the religious rhetoric used in anti-abortion arguments, including a statement that reads, “Free Women from Religious Oppression,” indiciating the Church’s role in restricting women’s reproducive freedoms. Courtesy of the Post-Dispatch archive.
Abortion altercation article
A columnist asserts the right to protest, especially when one has an unpopular opinion, in the Yale Daily News March 3, 1986 issue. Courtesy of the YDN Archives.
Number of Pro-Choice Marchers Surpasses Planners’ Expectations, 1989
00 Yale undergraduate, graduate, and professional students joined an estimated 500,000 protestors for a pro-choice march Sunday in Washington, D.C., surpassing even liberal estimates, writes Martha Ophir. They used chants such as “Hey, George, Yalies for Choice!” Seats for the two buses chartered for transportation to the Capitol were sold out in January. Student protestors hailed from diverse religious, political, geographical, racial and demographic backgrounds. The Webster v. Reproductive Health Services decision ruled that Missouri statutes enforcing restrictions on abortions were not unconstitutional. The Yale Daily News 11 April 1989, courtesy of the YDN Archives.
Yalies March In D.C.
Elizabeth Brown writes that 200 Yale students gathered with an estimated 400,000 people to march and rally for abortion rights, which began at 10am in front of the White House. The Yale Daily News, 6 April 1992, courtesy of the YDN Archives.
Students and New Haven Residents Rally for Choice on Cross Campus
Jodi Wilgoren writes that 450 activists, a combination of Yale Students and New Haven residents, participated in a pro-choice sympathy rally on Yale’s Cross Campus. Courtesy of the YDN Archives.
March for Women's Equality, Women's Lives button
A white button displays 'March for Women's Equality, Women's Lives,' ‘April 9 1989’ and ‘Washington, D.C.' in purple lettering. It displays a picture of the Capitol building, above signs reading 'Keep Abortion Safe and Legal' and 'Pass the ERA'. An acronym for the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union is shown at the bottom of the button. Courtesy of University of Connecticut Digital Collections.
Cover for Time Magazine, 1989, by Mirko Ilic
Artist Alan E. Cober created this cover for Time Magazine with ink, gouache and cut printed paper on paper. It measures 36.8cm x 27.3cm (14 1/2" x 10 3/4"). It draws upon visual references to the Vitruvian Man by Leonardo da Vinci, displaying a well-proportioned body of a white woman under a gavel to symbolize the submission of a woman’s right to her own body to the courts. Courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Aborting One’s Conscience
An anti-abortion comic from UConn’s The Daily Campus, Volume 92, Number 114 by Benson depicts a woman wearing a pro-choice shirt with a hanger through her head, suggesting that her political stance has destroyed her conscience. Courtesy of University of Connecticut digital archives.
The Connecticut National Organization for Women Call to Organize
The First Campus Chapter of The Connecticut National Organization for Women placed an advertisement for an organizational meeting to plan the pro-choice demonstration in Washington, D.C. in November. From The Daily Campus, Volume 93, Number 19. Courtesy of the UConn Digital Archives.
Rally celebrates pro-choice, 1 of 3
Students listen to a speech delivered at a pro-choice rally. Charles Inkeles writes that 250 people gathered on the New Haven Green to celebrate International Women’s Day and call for greater access to safe, legal abortions. The demonstration was organized by the March 8th coalition and other representatives from various New Haven organizations fighting for women’s reproductive rights. From The Yale Daily News, 9 March 1989, Courtesy of the YDN Archives.
Rally celebrates pro-choice, 2 of 3
Participants of the pro-choice rally sign a petition urging President Bush to reconsider his anti-abortion stances. Charles Inkeles writes that 250 people gathered on the New Haven Green to celebrate International Women’s Day and call for greater access to safe, legal abortions. The demonstration was organized by the March 8th coalition and other representatives from various New Haven organizations fighting for women’s reproductive rights. From The Yale Daily News, 9 March 1989, Courtesy of the YDN Archives.
Rally celebrates pro-choice, 3 of 3
Ellen Davidson articulates reproductive rights as a question of bodily control, women’s rights and autonomy. Charles Inkeles writes that 250 people gathered on the New Haven Green to celebrate International Women’s Day and call for greater access to safe, legal abortions. The demonstration was organized by the March 8th coalition and other representatives from various New Haven organizations fighting for women’s reproductive rights. From The Yale Daily News, 9 March 1989, Courtesy of the YDN Archives.
Anti-abortion protestors in Pico, 1989
The photograph, taken by Mike Sergieff, shows a group of 300 anti-abortion protestors sitting and praying around a building located on Pico, west of Fairfax. A pro-abortion group counter-demonstrates. Photograph dated February 12, 1989. Courtesy of the Los Angeles Herald Examiner Photo Collection.
Anti-abortion protestors in LA, 1989
An anti-abortion group blocks the entrance to the Women's Medical Center in West Los Angeles. A pro-choice group counter-demonstrate. Photograph dated February 11, 1989. Courtesy of the Los Angeles Herald Examiner Photo Collection.
Long Beach protests, 1 of 5
The iconic “Keep Abortion Legal” circular sign from the National Organization for Women (founded 1966) is displayed prominently. The National Organization for Women is an American feminist social welfare organization. The organization consists of 550 chapters and around 500,000 members. The caption of the photograph, dated to March 25, 1989, reads, "Anti-abortion protester, far left, tries to make stand at Long Beach clinic, but pro-choice demonstrators succeed in covering up sign, middle, before knocking him down." Courtesy of the Los Angeles Herald Examiner Photo Collection, Michael Haering.
Long Beach protests, 2 of 5
The iconic “Keep Abortion Legal” circular sign from the National Organization for Women (founded 1966) is displayed prominently. The National Organization for Women is an American feminist social welfare organization. The organization consists of 550 chapters and around 500,000 members. The pro-choice demonstrators are in the process of knocking the anti-abortion protestors down. Courtesy of the Los Angeles Herald Examiner Photo Collection, Michael Haering.
Long Beach protests, 3 of 5
Pro-choice demonstrators sit and stand around a car hoisting signs that say “Never Again,” “Pro Choice,” and “Keep Your Laws Off Our Bodies.” Courtesy of the Los Angeles Herald Examiner Photo Collection, Michael Haering.
Long Beach protests, 4 of 5
Pro-choice demonstrators hold a variety of signs displaying images of coathangers, in reference to dangerous, oftentimes self-administered abortion techniques that many women are forced to resort to due to lack of financial or legal access to safe medical abortion procedures. Courtesy of the Los Angeles Herald Examiner Photo Collection, Michael Haering.
Long Beach protests, 5 of 5
The pro-choice demonstrators have successfully knocked the anti-abortion protestor down. Courtesy of the Los Angeles Herald Examiner Photo Collection, Michael Haering.
In Support of Women's Lives pinback button
A black button displays 'In Support of Women's Lives, Abortion Rights Action July 17' on top of a red circle and a white cross. Courtesy of the University of Connecticut Digital Collections.
Abortion Rights for All pinback button
A button with 'A Woman's Life is A Human Life, Abortion Rights for All Women, End Sterilization Abuse' in light pink and white font on blue background. Courtesy of the University of Connecticut Digital Collections.
Operation Rescue demonstrator surrounded by pro-choice supporters
Operation Rescue demonstrator Sandra Cavanaugh sits in front of an entrance to the Cypress Family Planning Associates clinic and prays. A large group of pro-choice demonstrators carrying the NOW Keep Abortion Legal sign, among other signs, surrounds her. Operation Rescue, the operating name of Youth Ministries Inc., is an anti-abortion organization in the United States founded in 1986. Photograph dated to March 24, 1989. Courtesy of the Los Angeles Herald Examiner Photo Collection, Michael Haering.
Pro- and anti-abortion demonstrators clash
Pro- and anti-abortion demonstrators block the entrance to the Cypress Family Planning Associates health clinic. Photograph dated to March 23, 1989. Courtesy of the Los Angeles Herald Examiner Photo Collection, Michael Haering.
Abortion rights protesters in Forest Park
Abortion-rights protesters listen to speakers in July 1989 in Forest Park. Demonstrators hold signs depicting slogans of NARAL Pro-Choice America, such as “Who Decides: You or Them?” superimposed on an image of the Statue of Liberty, plus other signs containing the word “Choice.” Courtesy of the Post-Dispatch archive.
Protests & Social Action at UW-Madison
Around 1,500 students take part in a rally to support abortion rights. A prominent protestor holds a pro-choice sign depicting a coathanger. Another protestor holds a sign that reads “Pro-choice is pro-life,” emphasizing the potentially life-saving nature of safe, medical abortions for women and other people who may need them. Photograph dated to July 10, 1989. Courtesy of University of Wisconsin-Madison digital archives.
The Connecticut National Organization for Women Call to Organize
The First Campus Chapter of The Connecticut National Organization for Women places another advertisement for an organizational meeting to plan the pro-choice demonstration in Washington, D.C. on November 12. From The Daily Campus, Volume 93, Number 43. Courtesy of the UConn Digital Archives.
Parody of the NOW sign
An anti-abortion student demonstrator holds up a parody of the NOW Keep Abortion Legal sign, Keep Murder Legal, in front of pro-choice demonstrators outside the U.S. Supreme Court. From The Daily Campus, Volume 93, Number 55. Courtesy of the UConn Digital Archives.
March for Women’s Rights advertisement
An advertisement shows details for how to purchase bus tickets for transportation to the statewide pro-choice rally in Hartford on February 4. The Daily Campus, Volume 93, Number 65, 1990. Courtesy of the UConn Digital Archives.
Abortion-rights rally protests court decision
About 65 demonstrators gathered outside the County Governmental Center to protest the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to uphold restrictions on abortions for girls under 18. June 26, 1990. Courtesy of Lane Wallace via Watsonville Register-Pajaronian digital archive.
Local abortion-rights groups plan protest
Liz Taylor-Selling, the chairwoman of Santa Cruz’s NOW task force, organizes a protest. June 25, 1990. Courtesy of Chela Zabin via Santa Cruz Public Libraries.
Yale Students Participate in Pro-Life Rally
About a dozen members of Yale Students for Life joined around 200,000 protestors in a pro-life rally in Washington, D.C. The rally received support from multiple prominent government officials, including Vice President Dan Quayle and several members of Congress.
Protest for reproductive rights
A Barnard student holds a sign that reads, "Reproductive freedom and justice for all!" on the college’s Low Steps. Photograph is dated to circa 1980s-90s. Courtesy of the Barnard Digital Collections.
Show Your Face Pro-Choice America
A fan distributed by Planned Parenthood Federation of America at the Democratic National Convention which took place July 13-16, 1992 in Midtown Manhattan. The slogan encourages more visibility for pro-choice activists.
The March for Women’s Lives
Demonstrators held the 1992 March for Women’s Lives in Washington DC as a response to the then pending Supreme Court case Casey v. Planned Parenthood, which was seen as a threat to Roe v. Wade. The court decision eventually upheld Roe but also affirmed most of the Pennsylvania provisions. The decision also set the precedent of "undue burden," which is defined as a "substantial obstacle in the path of a woman seeking an abortion before the fetus attains viability." Photograph courtesy of Mark Reinstein/Getty Images.
Abortion rights advocates will protest PU speaker tonight
Students and city residents protest a speech by Randall Terry, the director of Operation Rescue, an anti-abortion group, invited by the Yale Political Union. Students highlight the dangers of unsafe abortions and actively paste pro-choice posters on top of YPU posters advertising the event. From The Yale Daily News, 21 March 1994. Courtesy of the YDN Digital Archives.
Abortion rights protest at Planned Parenthood, 2005
In this photo by Laurie Skrivan, abortion rights supporters line the second-floor balcony of the Planned Parenthood clinic for the 32nd anniversary of Roe v. Wade in January 2005. They carry Planned Parenthood signs displaying the slogan “Stand Up for Choice.” Courtesy of Post-Dispatch digital archives.
TRUE PRO-LIFERS TRY TO STOP THE KILLING…
A Chuck Asay Editorial cartoon (2009) from the Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph is captioned, "True pro-lifers try to stop the killing..." Panel 1. ...THIS way (Through ballot box, logic, prayer, medical facts, art, theology, debate, etc.) Panel 2. ...NOT like this... a bullet box and an abortion doctor target. This is in reference to the violence against doctors who perform abortion procedures, including Dr. George Tiller in Kansas, 2009. Dr. Tiller was one of the most prominent, outspoken pro-choice doctors and activists of his time. Courtesy of the Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph.
Pro-choice protestor, San José State University
A woman holds a poster advocating for abortion rights, which reads, "Our bodies, our lives, our right to decide. Abortion without apology. We won't go back!" This is an early use of the slogan “Abortion without apology,” indicating an increasingly firm, unapologetic stance. The sign also depicts a woman shouting and a bloody coathanger. Photo by Ted Sahl. Courtesy of San José State University Special Collections & Archives.
Yale Students for Reproductive Justice tote
A tote bag depicts a uterus with one fallopian tube replaced by an arm with flexed muscles, indicating strength. The tote bag was screenprinted. Courtesy of the Yale University library.
Every Child A Wanted Child pinback button
A light pink button reads, “Every Child A Wanted Child, Support Reproductive Rights” in red lettering, indicating the need for safe abortion procedures in family planning. Courtesy of the University of Connecticut Digital Collections.
NOW rally for abortion rights
Members of the organization NOW from diverse cultural backgrounds, some wearing a golden Honored sash, hold the iconic circular sign and a banner which reads, “Keep Abortion and Birth Control Safe and Legal.” Courtesy of the National Organization for Women.
Abortion rights protest along Lindell, 2017
Pro-choice protestors stand outside the office of Thrive, an evangelical Christian organization that aims to steer people away from abortion providers, at Lindell Boulevard on Feb. 11, 2017. This is a counter-protest to a national day of anti-Planned Parenthood protest. Photo by Cristina M. Fletes. Courtesy of Post-Dispatch digital archives.
Trust Women poster, 2009
A poster designed by NARAL, National Abortion Rights Action League of Illinois, displays the text “REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM FOR ALL, TRUST WOMEN” in white lettering on purple background. The poster was used in the January 21, 2017 Women's March in Washington, D.C.
Keep your laws off my…, 2009
A poster designed by NARAL, National Abortion Rights Action League of Illinois, displays the text “KEEP YOUR LAWS OFF MY” in white lettering followed by the image of a cat on purple background. The cat is a euphemism for women’s reproductive systems, expressing disdain at governmental control over women’s reproduction. The poster was used in the January 21, 2017 Women's March in Washington, D.C.
Chants for Protest, 2014
A copy of the chants for use at a rally at the Supreme Court for Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. on June 30, 2014. The Court decision directly struck down the contraceptive mandate under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, stating that it violated private, for-profit corporations' right to religious freedom. Courtesy of the National Museum of American History.
Abortion rights protest, 2019
Demonstrators circle Memorial Plaza Park during the Protest for Reproductive Rights. organized by STL Pro-Choice Student Activists in opposition to a bill that would prohibit most abortions after eight weeks of pregnancy, on May 25, 2019 on Market Street, St. Louis. Photo by Colter Peterson. Courtesy of the Post-Dispatch digital archives.
Demonstrators outside the Missouri House of Representatives, 2019
Demonstrators protest against a new bill that would virtually ban all abortions in the state outside the Missouri House of Representatives chamber in the state capitol on May 17, 2019. A demonstrator holds up a sign that reads, “I’m a person, NOT an INCUBATOR,” expression frustration at anti-abortion laws which treat women like vessels for carrying babies rather than autonomous beings with the right to reproductive freedom. Photo by Christian Gooden. Courtesy of the Post-Dispatch digital archives.
Luther Smith Park pro-abortion rally, 2019
Pro-abortion rights demonstrators cheer during a rally in Luther Ely Smith Park to support Planned Parenthood on May 30, 2019. Several signs, such as “Keep your politics out of women’s pants,” demand the withdrawal of government interference into women’s bodies, rights, and autonomy. Photo by Robert Cohen. Courtesy of the Post-Dispatch digital archives.
Bourbon Street pro-abortion rally, 2019
Some protestors marching down Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Louisiana, on May 25, 2019 are dressed like characters from the novel The Handmaid’s Tale, which details the horrors of a surveillance government that dictates women’s reproduction, to foreshadow the future of America should the trend of anti-abortion policies continue down its current trajectory. The protest was organized to oppose a proposed bill that would ban abortion after six weeks. Photograph by Emily Kask, courtesy of Kask/AFP/Getty Images.
Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights collage
A collage by Pema Choedon depicts protestors with signs at a pro-abortion rally held by the advocacy group Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights in Harvard Square, 2022. The signs read, “FORCED MOTHERHOOD IS FEMALE ENSLAVEMENT,” “WE REFUSE TO LET THE U.S SUPREME COURT DENY WOMEN'S HUMANITY AND DECIMATE THEIR RIGHTS!,” “ABORTION ON DEMAND & WITHOUT APOLOGY!,” and “STOP THE EVIL TEXAS JERKS. SAVE ABORTION.” The protestors link the loss of safe, legal abortion as a detrimental loss for bodily autonomy, women’s rights, and humanity. Courtesy of the Harvard Crimson.
Pro-choice march, LA, 2021
Pro-abortion rights protesters during a Los Angeles march, 2021. Signs read, “PUBLIC CERVIX ANNOUNCEMENT: I AM A WOMAN NOT A WOMB,” “PRO CHOICE, MY BODY IS NOT A POLITICAL PLAYGROUND,” “KEEP YOUR LAWS OUT OF MY VAGINA.” Signs use increasingly explicit language and mention parts of a women’s reproductive system, perhaps in contrast to the conservative, religious rhetoric of anti-abortion groups, and to highlight the stark reality of the physical violence of laws that aim to restrict reproductive rights. Photo by Photo by Elsa Seignol, courtesy of REUTERS.
Planned Parenthood protest, 2021
Pro-Planned Parenthood and pro-abortion rights protestors carry signs that read, “Thank God for Abortion,” and “Ban Off Our Bodies.” Black women activists wear t-shirts displaying “Trust Black Women,” combining intersectional efforts.
State House rally, 2022
Pro-choice demonstrators rally outside the State House in Boston on May 8, 2022. Signs display “We won't go back, bans off our bodies,” a slogan of Planned Parenthood, and “Not your uterus, not your problem!” Photo by Joseph Prezioso, courtesy of AFP/Getty Images.
Yale Protest against the repeal of Roe v. Wade decision, 1 of 2
Yale student protestors walk across Cross Campus carrying pro-abortion signs to protest the draft of a court decision for the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization case, which may repeal the Roe v. Wade decision that conveyed the constitutional, federal right to abortion on a term-based system, May 5, 2022. Picture by Martina Roman.
Yale Protest against the repeal of Roe v. Wade decision, 2 of 2
Yale student protestors carry pro-abortion signs and stand outside of the The New Haven County Courthouse to protest the draft of a court decision for the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization case, which may repeal the Roe v. Wade decision that conveyed the constitutional, federal right to abortion on a term-based system, May 5, 2022. Picture by Martina Roman.
El Chicano Pregnancy Counseling advertisement
Pregnancy Counseling, Community Services, and Meetings (including abortion), published in El Chicano newspaper in Colton, California on June 18, 1971.
Anti-abortion counseling, aimed at Latinx people
Anti-abortion counseling, aimed at Latinx people, including religious and moral rhetoric, published in EL JALAMATE newspaper in San Francisco, California on June 9, 1972.