words by Céline Bossart (she/her)
@celineb0ss
*UPDATED: June 24, 2022*
For the first time in 50 years, the right to safe a legal abortions has been taken away. Row v Wade has officially been overturned by the supreme court. This gives each individual state the ability to decide the legality of abortions within it's boarders.
"The Supreme Court in a 5-4 decision on Friday overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark ruling that established the constitutional right to abortion in the U.S. in 1973."
-CNBC
Momotaro Apotheca was (and still is) an answer to the absence of effective and intentional vaginal wellness products on the market –– our bodies have been historically ignored with little light at the end of the tunnel, and it becomes exhausting at a certain point. Issues surrounding our bodies (specifically what society deems as "female") are generally forced into oblivion and obscurity, taboo perpetuated, and the treatment of our bodily autonomy as a whole is not dissimilar. This involuntary culture of silence is, at times, an invitation to fight—we are living proof that when we’re tired, the only proper course of action is action itself. That’s why today, we’re bringing the conversation back to abortion and focusing our time and energy to fight the stigma around it.
Maybe you know someone who’s had an abortion, or maybe you’ve had one yourself. It’s more than likely that someone in your network has benefitted from Planned Parenthood’s services in one way or another, whether you know about it or not. (PP provided nearly 10 million services across America last year, to put it into perspective.)
So in the spirit of giving, we donated 100% of our profits made during the 2019 holiday season to this organization––one that has touched our own lives personally––because, as you may already know, they need help more than ever.
At the same time, we recognize that not everyone is in a position to spend, and we’d be remiss not to emphasize that there are other ways to support your local clinic, too. Becoming a volunteer clinic escort is a great way to make an impact, and your time commitment can be brief or ongoing, depending on what you and your schedule can offer. You can sign up to help out at a New York City clinic by joining the Activist Council here (but just be aware that the application process takes a bit of commitment in itself). If you’re located outside of New York and want to get involved in your state, you can sign up to get info Planned Parenthood’s country-wide general volunteer opportunities here.
Lastly, while not everybody is comfortable speaking about their own experiences with abortion, know that doing so is an act of rebellion in itself. Abortion is not a shameful word, nor is it a shameful act. For those of us who are comfortable sharing our abortion stories (or who are considering being vocal), each conversation is a step toward destigmatization, and there is true power in that. Here’s to helping however we can and breaking free from a culture of silence along the way.
Related Reading
Redefining Activism by Kénta Xiadani Ch'umil (the/them)
Entropy, Earth Day, & EPA Rollbacks
Reverse Black Friday for Planned Parenthood
Meet the Author
Celine Bossart (she/her) is a NYC based journalist and editor. Follow her at @celineb0ss.