As an AFAB person (not a woman, not a man, just a human who was socialised as a woman), the Roe decision leak rightfully gave me a sinking feeling; not a surprising one, as I’ve been in abortion advocacy for almost a decade, but still deeply upsetting. As a kid back in the 00s, I didn’t think I would have to fight for abortion rights, I thought people would just realise that it’s a necessary human right that benefits both women and men, is a necessity for bodily autonomy, etc. Especially as an AFAB person who didn’t want any kids, if I ever got pregnant, I knew it would be abortion or ending my own life, no ifs ands or buts.

So, naturally, I am always appreciative of those supporting the cause for bodily autonomy, and I’m sure many of you have seen many horrific and saddening stories posted by women as to why abortion is a necessity, and I’m so thankful to them for sharing their stories. However, many comments also wished to hear from more men supporting abortion because obviously, these women didn’t Virgin Mary their way to a baby, as men benefit from abortion as well. So… I went looking for men supporting abortion.

An honest tweet stated something along the lines that he was incredibly grateful for the two women that he slept with who got abortions because he would have been a terrible deadbeat dad. Alright, this is exactly what I was looking for! I’d read similar messages in the past from women talking about how they’d have been terrible mothers, so this should be what everyone was asking for, right?

Insert “you should have worn a condom!”, “why did you make them go through that?”, “yeah man maybe sit this one out”.

This is going to be my new example for hypocrisy when it comes to men sharing their stories; it’s not to say that women don’t get negative reactions, or that nobody reacted positively to this guy’s post (and mind, almost all who did react positively were women, a fair few men were accusing him of trying to get laid or white knighting), but the double standard that men get when they speak up about being in favour of abortion.

I hope that left wing/progressive men’s rights groups use this opportunity to try and galvanise connections because the same people outlawing abortion are the same ones keeping men down, but I can see where the hesitancy comes from when these are the reactions you get.

If any of you have stories about how abortion benefitted you, do share, because I want to hear them, and I promise that most people who aren’t trolls, angry prolife people, or rad fems who are missing the point, also do.

Edit for some small spelling mistakes, curse you mobile and your glacially slow typing.