Meeting the Good Doctor

This past weekend I attended a staff holiday party for one of my two workplaces. Generally this would not be blog-worthy, except perhaps as an excuse for not blogging because of the aftermath of the Pedgehog let loose at an open bar and then left to teeter home on shoes much higher than her usual pair. Said disaster was narrowly averted by the saintly actions of one of my lovely coworkers, CL, who drove me home - soberly - and waited until I was in the door; and who, despite her constant need to create muppet-themed nicknames for me based on what colour shirt I am wearing, is really a pretty awesome person whom I quite like.

But I digress (as always). The staff party was for the clinic, and it was the first time that I finally got to meet Dr. Henry Morgentaler, who is, after all, my boss. Well, retired. But anyway, it was the culmination of almost four years of dedication to the pro-choice cause on my part, and of alternately praising the man and defending him to anti-choicers who think he is the worst thing to happen to Canada since...well, ever. I don't know exactly what Dr. Morgentaler means to me: certainly I know he is only human (I read "A Difficult Hero", I know what's up), but also I completely admire him not only for what he accomplished but also for his careful balance of humility and self-assurance. And then on top of that, he is my boss (sort of) and the brother-in-law of a good friend. It's a very complicated relationship to have with someone you have not met.

So, I met him. Which, in itself, was not a big deal. A handshake, exchange of names, a brief conversation about how long I had worked at the clinic and about New Brunswick. One minute of face time, maybe.

What was special for me about the evening (besides the fact that by the time we sat down to eat I was on my fourth drink and pretty much everything was special at that point), was Dr. Morgentaler's graciousness and the light he shone on his successors. He gave a brief speech only at the prompting of our CEO, and in it he expressed admiration and gratitude for the work that we were all doing. It made me think about accomplishment, and about being a hero like that. It's one thing to forge ahead and break barriers and be feted and thanked and congratulated all the time; perhaps a greater achievement is to see so many people find your work valuable enough to continue. How gratifying for him, to look out at a restaurant full of people totally dedicated to his goal: making abortion an accessible and comfortable experience for women in Canada.

So while it was lovely to finally meet Morgentaler the man, what I had really idealized and admired was more the Morgentaler spirit, which I had certainly already met in my pro-choice colleagues and friends, and continue to meet every day. The man has created a great legacy in this country. And even after a rough day at work, or dealing with the most unreasonable of patients, I will happily raise a glass to that.

Things You Think Are Choice, But They Aren't

Always good to see major media sources focusing on problems with access to reproductive health care, as in this CBC piece on the lack of abortion services on PEI. I'm even more pleasantly surprised than usual, because this isn't just another filler issue on "abortion is legal but there's still lots of hurdles, etc. etc." but actually spotlights a problem that even some pro-choice people don't know about: there are NO ABORTION SERVICES AT ALL on PEI. Not a one.

It also touches on the complexity of the issue: the "choice" between travelling to Halifax to have a government-funded abortion, or travelling to Fredericton to have the guaranteed confidentiality of a Morgentaler Clinic abortion, costing the woman $600 - $800. Of course, neither is an option to women who, for whatever reason, are unable to make either trip. But assuming travel was not a problem, it still isn't a choice and there are a lot of class issues here: either you get privacy, or a free abortion. Only women with $600 to spare are allowed to have privacy. That's fucked. The right to privacy is one of the foundations of the decision to decriminalize abortion in this country. All three provinces in this case (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island) are essentially spitting on R. v. Morgentaler by making their own judgements on who can and can't access abortion, and how and where and when and by whom. This is not choice.

I know that of these two non-options, many women choose privacy despite the cost. When I worked at the clinic in Fredericton there were not many clinic days when we didn't see one or two women from PEI. Our appointments were all in the morning, before 10am, so most of these women and their partners had woken up at some ungodly hour to drive for four or five hours, or stayed overnight at their own expense the night before, only to make the drive back afterwards. Depending on your own life experience and privilege (or lack thereof), this might not seem like such a hardship, but it really should not be a reality in a country fully capable of funding abortion providers in every province. Even one doctor providing abortions one day a week on PEI would make a world of difference.

So there are a lot of issues here: class (definitely), regional disparity, lack of abortion training in medical schools, lack of incentive to be any kind of doctor in the maritime provinces (the ol' "brain drain"), degree equivalency for new Canadians, race, and of course gender. Of course of course. Stephen Harper does not care about women; nor, I guarantee you, do the premiers of the three provinces in question - at least, not as much as they care about votes, the retention of power, and their own ridiculous careers.

In some ways, abortion's decriminalization in this country is a curse, in that it makes us think the work is done. Well, it isn't done. Not by a long shot. Just ask the women of PEI.

"An Insulting and Useless Gesture"

Go right now and read this great piece on clinic protesters in Canada. It sums up the situation in Fredericton to a T (although it is based on a different clinic).

The clinic I work in now has an injunction, so we don't get protesters, but I think the author is right to suggest that municipal legislation (like they have in BC) would better serve the clinic staff and patients. People who work in abortion care exist in a small bubble - we know each other and fear for each other, and knowing that people at other clinics in the city and across the country are safe from anti-choice violence would make me feel a lot more at ease. We need to work as a team to provide safe and accessible abortion services to women in this country, and universal protection is necessary.

Honestly at this point I can't figure out why people still do sidewalk counselling; I have never ever seen it work, not even once in the three years I worked at the Fredericton clinic. People coming in have either already made up their minds to have the abortion, or they stop and talk to the protesters because they've made up their mind not to have it and they're looking for a way out. The ones that decide not to have an abortion - either while they're in the clinic or out on the sidewalk - were never going to have one anyway, whether the protesters were there or not. You start to get a feeling for who is going to go through with it; I can usually tell now just talking to them on the phone. I wish they would stay for long enough to talk to the clinic's counsellor, just to work through whatever issues they might be dealing with, or to get set up with some information and resources on adoption and/or parenting, but it's ok: you can't make people's choices for them. That's part of the whole "trust women" thing that the pro-life movement just does not seem to be able to grasp.

Because it is the Season for Giving

I haven't been fair. I was absent for too long, and then had a burst of creativity, probably making you all think I would be posting regularly from now on - and then I went silent again. Sorry readers! To make up for it, I am working on what will probably turn out to be a pretty long, reflective post, which will be your reward (or punishment, depending on your politics) for your patience.

For now, two things:

Have you written to your MP yet about Bill C-510, the "coerced abortion" bill? If not, there's still time! And if you have - don't worry, you can write again. ARCC has an updated sample letter opposing the bill; please take a few minutes out of your day to write.

Here's something to brighten your day (assuming your day is brightened by feminists yelling at stupid people!): a volunteer escort at my old clinic in Fredericton (and one of my illustrious co-bloggers on Abortion Gang), Not Guilty, ended her tenure as a volunteer today. She decided to go out with a bang and after removing her vest denoting her as a representative of the clinic, she gave a piece of her mind to two of our worst protesters, Holy Ghost and Pink Hat. Let's watch!

Yes.