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An Abortion Doula Pivots After North Carolina's New Restrictions
NPR ^ | Manuela López Restrepo

Posted on 05/28/2023 1:31:41 PM PDT by nickcarraway

Ash Williams says he's now making sure his work extends beyond the state of North Carolina.

Ash Williams has been on the front lines for reproductive health in his state. Now, another challenge arises.

Who is he? Williams is an abortion doula based in North Carolina.

An abortion doula provides support for clients throughout the process of ending a pregnancy. North Carolina has been a haven in the South for people to receive reproductive healthcare this last year. Ash spoke with NPR's Destinee Williams last year in the wake of Roe v. Wade being overturned, about what his job was like, and how things would change.

As a Black transgender man, who has had two abortions himself, Williams prioritizes inclusivity and accessibility in the care he provides. Why is happening? North Carolina, where Williams works and lives, is joining several other GOP-led states in moving towards restricting abortion access.

This week, the Republican supermajority in the state legislature ensured that a ban on most abortions after 12 weeks will become the law in N.C.

This overrode Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's veto.

One key figure in this has been Republican North Carolina house member Tricia Cotham, who campaigned on pro-choice values as a Democrat, and then switched parties after winning her election — a move that has drawn ire from her constituents and other politicians in her state.

A woman wears a button during celebrations for Pride month on June 25, 2022, in Raleigh, North Carolina.

What's he saying? Ash spoke with NPR's Ari Shapiro about what his job entails, and how this 12-week ban will impact his work.

Sponsor Message

On what an abortion doula does:

An abortion doula is a person who provides emotional, informational and, when given consent, physical support before, during and after abortion.

Because I'm a transgender person, it's really important for me to be able to offer gender expansive care for the people that I serve.

And I'm also funding people's abortions as well. So anything from letting people know what clinics are OK to go to, where they can actually receive care, to explaining sedation options for them, and then going out to do what's needed to find and then increase access to all of the things someone needs as it relates to abortion.

On the purpose behind his doula work, and training other abortion doulas:

I do this work because there are other trans people who have abortions and they too deserve to have the best abortions possible.

I am really kind of sitting at this intersection of trans justice and abortion access. And I believe that if we focus on this intersection, we will make sure that people of all genders have increased access to all types of reproductive care.

Want more on abortion rights? Listen to Consider This on the Texas lawyer behind the so-called "bounty hunter" abortion ban.

Sponsor Message

On the impact of the 12-week ban, and how it will change his work:

I have a lot more work to do now. I'm also making sure that my work extends beyond the state of North Carolina because so many people are trying to access care here from outside of the state. And so I want to be able to serve those folks as well.

The pragmatic part of my brain says that we need to make sure that they can have the best abortion possible. And that means that we need to look into travel. And so I am going to work with my partners and I'm going to work with other organizers to get people out of the state of North Carolina if that is something that's needed. I also am increasing access to information about self-managing abortion through medication right now.

On looking forward:

In a lot of ways, I do feel very prepared. I've always been trying to figure out how to get someone to their appointment from a rural place. I've always been trying to figure out how to flip a nickel into $500 for someone's appointment. I'm going to have to rely on the years of organizing before the fall of Roe to really know what to do at this point.

So, what now?

-The 12-week ban in North Carolina is set to begin on July 1.

-Abortion continues to be a hot button issue for upcoming elections across the country.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Government; US: North Carolina
KEYWORDS: northcarolina; roycooper
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Abortion doula?
1 posted on 05/28/2023 1:31:41 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway

Yes, in other words an assistant murderer.


2 posted on 05/28/2023 1:36:20 PM PDT by HerrBlucher
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To: nickcarraway

🤢🤮. Another transgender killing children. Seems to be a common theme


3 posted on 05/28/2023 1:37:52 PM PDT by Mom MD ( )
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To: Mom MD
article: "As a Black transgender man, who has had two abortions himself,"

No. A mentally ill Negress had two abortions. She is now pretending to be man.

4 posted on 05/28/2023 1:44:12 PM PDT by Governor Dinwiddie (LORD, grant thy people grace to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil.)
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To: HerrBlucher

Do medical regulations allow for such a person to be in the room?


5 posted on 05/28/2023 1:45:18 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: HerrBlucher

NC will never live down their Forced Sterilization Eugenics laws and Wicked Science.


6 posted on 05/28/2023 1:46:20 PM PDT by cnsmom
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To: nickcarraway

Doula, ghoula. Potato, potatoe. Maybe they misspelled ghola.


7 posted on 05/28/2023 1:46:24 PM PDT by Kickaha (See the glory...of the royal scam )
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To: nickcarraway

“the process of ending a pregnancy. “

How odd, they give the definition of child murder but don’t name it.

Like that phrase “Negative Patient Outcome” instead of Died in the Hospital.


8 posted on 05/28/2023 1:53:33 PM PDT by Macoozie (Handcuffs and Orange Jumpsuits)
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To: nickcarraway

The job description for an abortion doula is to provide an assistance before during and after an abortion, so I guess the regulations obviously do.


9 posted on 05/28/2023 1:56:39 PM PDT by HerrBlucher
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To: nickcarraway
reproductive health

Can we please have a moratorium on euphemisms for the execution of innocent unborn human beings? “Pro-choice” lie; babies die.

10 posted on 05/28/2023 2:09:02 PM PDT by windsorknot
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To: Governor Dinwiddie; Mom MD

Men do not have the requisite plumbing, even post surgery, to implant a fertilized egg from their body into a uterine wall for pregnancy.

This is a woman pretending to be a man.


11 posted on 05/28/2023 2:11:03 PM PDT by ro_dreaming (Who knew "Idiocracy", "1984", "Enemy of the State", and "Person of Interest" would be non-fiction?)
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To: ro_dreaming
Men do not have the requisite plumbing, even post surgery, to implant a fertilized egg from their body into a uterine wall for pregnancy.

"Don't you oppress me!"

12 posted on 05/28/2023 2:11:28 PM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: nickcarraway

I have a niece who had a doula the first baby almost died in the second baby did die and my niece is addled because she continued to use a doula at home when a medical birthing center will provide the same service until something goes wrong and then they step in. I think doulas should be jailed personally.

18th century birthing reenactments is a retarded concept as far as I’m concerned. Sometimes you have to go there as situations dictate. But to purposely orchestrate a birthing reenactment and have it go south without a backup plan? That’s criminal.


13 posted on 05/28/2023 2:13:55 PM PDT by Clutch Martin ("The trouble ain't that there is too many fools, but that the lightning ain't distributed right." )
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To: Macoozie

Abortion is the only “medical procedure”, the sole purpose of which is to end the life of a “patient”. “Do no harm” indeed.


14 posted on 05/28/2023 2:19:43 PM PDT by windsorknot
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To: windsorknot
Can we please have a moratorium on euphemisms for the execution of innocent unborn human beings?

Sadly, since the left controls the media they control the terms. "Reproductive Health" means legalized murder and is woke.

Other common cases of woke terminology:

Using the term "sexual orientation" instead of "sexual preference" is woke.

Using “gender” instead of “sex” is woke.

Using “Black” instead of “black” is woke”.

Using “Gender affirming surgery” instead of “genital mutilation surgery” is woke.

Using "Undocumented immigrant" instead of "Illegal immigrant" or "Illegal alien" is woke.

Saying that someone was "assigned" a sex (or worse gender) at birth is woke. A person's sex is recorded at birth, not assigned.

Using the term "equity" (equal outcome) instead of "equality" (equal opportunity) is woke.

Affirmative Action = quotas = discrimination = woke.

Using “gender” instead of “sex” is woke.

Using “Black” instead of “black” is woke”.

Using “Gender affirming surgery” instead of “genital mutilation surgery” is woke.

Using "Undocumented immigrant" instead of "Illegal immigrant" or "Illegal alien" is woke.

Saying that someone was "assigned" a sex (or worse gender) at birth is woke. A person's sex is recorded at birth, not assigned.

Using the term "equity" (equal outcome) instead of "equality" (equal opportunity) is woke.

Affirmative Action = quotas = discrimination = woke.

15 posted on 05/28/2023 2:26:19 PM PDT by libertylover (Our biggest problem, by far, is that almost all of big media is AGENDA-DRIVEN, not-truth driven.)
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To: HerrBlucher
And beauty contest winner.
16 posted on 05/28/2023 2:27:32 PM PDT by traderrob6
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To: nickcarraway

So not only is this woman mentally ill, she encourages and assists in the Murder of Human Beings.


17 posted on 05/28/2023 2:28:04 PM PDT by SoConPubbie (Trump has all the right enemies, DeSantis has all the wrong friends.)
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To: libertylover

George Orwell was ahead of his time when he introduced the concept of “Newspeak”. The manipulation of language is the Left’s way of putting lipstick on a pig.


18 posted on 05/28/2023 2:31:55 PM PDT by windsorknot
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To: nickcarraway

We can always depend on taxpayer funded NPR to give us the Maoist slant on any given story.


19 posted on 05/28/2023 2:37:31 PM PDT by Gay State Conservative (Two Words: BANANA REPUBLIC!)
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To: nickcarraway

Black TRANS GENDER MAN who has already had 2 abortions-—

All of which qualifies him for a permanent rubber room.


20 posted on 05/28/2023 2:45:22 PM PDT by ridesthemiles
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