For years now the anti-abortion group “Helpers of God’s Precious Infants” (HoGPI) have been a presence outside the Fertility Control Clinic in East Melbourne.

The Clinic which provides abortion services to women has been complaining for years about anti-abortion protesters congregating outside their premises and harassing women.

A security guard at the clinic, Steve Rogers, was murdered by an anti-abortion crusader in 2001. Six months ago, a man was charged with threatening to kill another security guard at the clinic.

Melbourne City Council has agreed that police can now fine people under council by-laws that previously had not applied to the protesters.

“They’re (the protesters) more inclined to be concerned with their actual cause rather than the effect that they have on people. It’s a simple issue of creating a real nuisance and impeding someone’s progress. They can still hold the posters or pamphlets out for people to take but they can’t block access to the gate or stand in front of them.” –Inspector Chris Duthie, from Melbourne East police station,

“Protesters were peaceful and prayerful and offering help to women. We know that people are always going to complain about people making it visible what’s going on inside that building, so we know that people don’t like being reminded that babies are being killed there.” -Tanya O’Brien from the Helpers of God’s Precious Infants.

Perished latex that has not survived the humidity of a tropical holiday.

Pill escapees. Long before the colour-coordination of the Pill, they were all red and free to escape their foil-y calendar only to mingle and jumble into a lucky dip of go-juice and placebo.

The time when yearning is hungrier than any sensibility.
The panic, the claustrophobia, the lack-of-control that can be an unwanted pregnancy.

A large enough family.

Rape.

Disability, malformation, chronic disease.

Not blue, but pink.
Not pink, but blue.

I am pro-choice because having sex, being passionate, fucking hard and often, is not always done to conceive. Paradoxically, sex can lead to conception. Conception is not always the desired outcome. Contraception fails, or is unpleasant, or is onerous, or is forgotten, or requires assertiveness, or is overwhelming…

If we so choose, we have the right to be gloriously empty or rapturously full.

Create and maintain a pro-choice environment. If you (or someone who asks for your support) ever need to exercise your reproductive rights you will be overjoyed to see that they are still there.

Image from here

Today about a dozen protesters held up placards and shouted out during a press conference given by Mr Debnam at Nepean Hospital in Penrith. Mr Debnam later said the protesters had pushed Mrs Debnam, Opposition health spokeswoman Jillian Skinner and Liberal Penrith candidate Tricia Hitchen out of the way. It seems that NSW opposition leader Mr Peter Debnam (WHO?) has not come to grips with what is involved in being a public figure, the rights of peaceful protesters in a democracy, what to expect when voters are unhappy at threatened job-cuts, what constitutes manhandling and that expecting special treatment of his wife, or women in general, is not only naive, but patronising.

He said wet paint from a protest placard had marked his wife’s t-shirt when she was pushed.

“Morris you can send your union thugs to follow me around the state during the entire election campaign – I’ve got no problems with that, I won’t be intimidated by them – but you make sure your Labor thugs stay away from my wife and stay away from my team, especially the female members of my team.” – Peter Debnam

Reporters at the press conference said they did not observe the protesters pushing anyone.

Newsflash Debnam. Paternalism occupies a redundant timeline. Women can and will defend themselves. Women can and will be assertive and demand their place. Women do not need you to protect them purely because of their gender and your perception of what that entails.

I’m not expecting any women in the NSW opposition to be seen as much more than fluff by WHO?

On the 34th Anniversary of Roe v Wade, 22/01/07, bloggers will be blogging for choice.

Join us, read what we write- or do both.

Women who seek help at Catholic-controlled hospitals cannot be referred to rape crisis centres that supply morning-after pills, under church policy.

I am amazed to find myself, in 2007, after years and years of Australia and Australians being by and large pro-choice, advocating yet again for the right to choose.

I’m not sure where to begin with this- the latest of Health Minister Abbott’s no-abortions agenda. Shall I start with the very real possibility of re-traumatising a woman/girl as she is forced to make her way to a chemist, without appropriate confidentiality, support or aftercare when she has just been raped, to get medication that is part of every thinking person’s expectation of non-negligent rape-counselling.
She’s been RAPED- a crime of power and control. Imagine broken bones, slashes, cuts, bruises, scratches, bites, marks, pain and, possibly, HIV, STD’s, or conception. Rape survivors representing the highest number of women/girls living with PTSD.

Interpersonal trauma more likely to be associated with PTSD- Rape 9.2% (F) Sexual molestation 5.5% (F)

The morning-after pill (Postinor-2) is not illegal, in fact you do not need a Doctor’s prescription since 01/01/04, when it was made available over the counter for about $20.00 in all non-judgmental pharmacies.

The Catholic church, through it’s policy and control of hospitals is placing an extra hurdle in front of vulnerable women /girls in our society. How can a system which exists to offer medical care justify that acute post-rape care does not involve the option to be offered the morning after-pill (Postinor-2)?

“The Code of Ethical Standards, compiled by Catholic Health Australia, says direct referral of raped women to centres that offer the morning-after pill ‘should only occur if reasonable steps have been taken to exclude the likelihood of pregnancy.’ Senior Catholic spokesmen defended the policy as a logical and ethical extension of the church’s opposition to the morning-after pill, which it considers morally no different to abortion.” -Source.

“This [The Code of Ethical Standards, compiled by Catholic Health Australia] is a long-standing policy which is consistent with the church’s position on abortion and it is not a new issue and I have no indications of any of it changing. We don’t ask individuals to take other choices, we certainly don’t try to manipulate the information so they make choices that we are happy with. We provide them with all the information and if they so choose to go down the path of termination or the pill we simply say, ‘We can’t provide it here’.” – CEO Francis Sullivan said.

This is nothing more than the Catholic church asserting it’s power over a population who moves away, rather than toward it and its beliefs. Beware of crypto-Social Workers.

Image from here