Progress=change=scary.

But it's ALREADY scary out here for a lot of people.

Last week-ish same as this week-ish

Last week’s podcast was dominated by the topic of abortion. I recorded it only the day after the leak, so it was hard to think of anything else. I focused on a few key areas:

1. I shared some of my personal perspective in case it provides you with any helpful talking points. I talk about answering a friend who asked me what I say to people who ask how forced birth laws are different from vaccine mandates when it comes to violating bodily autonomy. (Hint: I think it’s drastically different and explain why.) I shared the ways I try not to concede to the typical framing of the issue that subtly benefits the pro-forced-birth zealots.

2. I talk about how the basis of the leaked Alito opinion is very scary for much more than the bodily autonomy of women (which is scary enough, IMO). I think most people do need to understand how something effects them to be motivated to act, because life is hard. I think a lot of people think this won’t effect them. So I try to expand the conversation to talk about how it will…not just the slippery slope argument, but even just the fact that I don’t understand how America will stay competitive and productive and innovative if half its work force is constrained. That will impact us all.

3. I try to focus our attention on helping those who most need it: People who need an abortion who live in an area where they are hard to obtain (and make no mistake that has been the case in some states for low-income people for YEARS). And part of how we can help them is to emphasize that even if abortion becomes illegal it can be safe. There are medical solutions that did not exist 50 years ago, and I really urge us to focus our efforts on helping as many people who need to to obtain those safe medical abortions as we possibly can. We don’t need to terrify already-oppressed, frightened people; we need to fund and resource and inform others about how to help themselves in the face of obstacles.

My talking points may not all resonate with you. You may not agree with one of my foundational perspectives, because you may have a different foundational ethos than I do. But I urge us not to distract ourselves with arguing with one another over this particular tactic or that individual talking point…take what works for you and leave the rest, It’s OK if I don’t agree with every other abortion activist on every recommendation. I will take what works for me and leave the rest and just keep speaking my truth. Our individual truths are the thing we can share and stand behind most resolutely for the long haul.

The pro-forced-birth movement has worked for this moment for the entire 50 years since Roe v. Wade was decided. I think it’s an easy, but mistaken thought pattern to think that once people experience progress, that of course all will appreciate and want to support more progress. Instead, progress brings backlash. And it’s actually much easier to focus on fighting to stop or block something that already exists, because there is no initiative or program that is without flaw. It is much harder to focus on creating something…the devil is in those details, and it’s hard to build consensus; it’s hard to bring something to fruition. It’s harder to build than it is to knock down . It’s harder to progress than it is to go backwards to what will always seem like “the good old days” to someone. Progress=change=scary.

But it’s already been scary out there for the people the good old days didn’t serve.

Finally, this document is a vetted and comprehensive resource if you want to take action. My friend Alison Turkos is a lifelong reproductive justice activist, and she has done the hard work of building this living document for the rest of us. In addition, this document gives ideas for how companies can support their employees’ reproductive healthcare rights. If you’re in a position to move some of these policies forward, take a look.

Pick what works for you, what resonates with you, what moves you…pick one talking point or one tactic or one organization to support. Pick one thing.

And if you’re comfortable, please use the Leave a Comment button to share something I’m missing…a talking point that works for you, an org. you support, a perspective you want to flesh out and propagate. It’s on us all.

Coming this week-ish

One very last final last-minute plug for my client the Professional Business Women of California and their annual conference today and tomorrow. I’m in conversation with Marci Alboher on Wednesday afternoon about how to think about career transitions in this current job market environment. The rest of the program is incredibly strong. I’m proud to be a part of it and to have been a part of putting this great roster together. Even if you can’t attend today/tomorrow, the conference sessions will be available to attendees until June 15th. These are not going to be posted online publicly, so registering is your only shot.

Other than that a lot of my activities in the next week are repro rights-related. I’m going to the Center for Reproductive Rights San Francisco gala tonight, and I’m going to a rally at San Jose City Hall on Saturday, for starters. I’m guessing there are rallies near you too. And my dear male friends and colleagues…I hope you’ll consider showing up. I’ve gone to many many rallies, marches, and vigils over the past 5-6 years, more than at any time in my life, and my general observation has always been that women show up in so much bigger numbers than men. Let’s work on that!

Please leave a comment and let me know your thoughts on any or all of the above. This is basically my blog now! And as always I appreciate a share of this newsletter or my podcast.

And if I can help you break through the things that are keeping you stuck, set up your first introductory 30-minute consult for free by booking it in my Calendly. And you can always check out my new LinkedIn Learning Course, Telling Stories That Stick, a 57 minute course on crafting your stories for different audiences (media, investors, prospects, hiring managers) and making sure those stories stick…and convey exactly what you hope to convey.