Opinion/Your Turn: Clergy for Choice supports reproductive rights without impediments

The Rev. Margot Critchfield and Rev. Kristen Harper
·2 min read

Following up on the Times' article, “Medication Abortion Service in Hyannis Prompts Protest, Counter-Protest,” (Sept. 27), a number of us pro-choice clergy would like to offer some context for our presence there.

Over the summer, women and transmen on Cape Cod finally got access to critically needed abortion and gender-affirming care right here on the Cape. While surgical procedures are still unavailable, a clinic in Hyannis now provides medication abortions, as well as many other much-needed health care services. This is a huge step forward for our community; reproductive justice is the right of every woman and transman on the Cape.

But in opposition to this expanded access to reproductive health care, a group of anti-abortion, anti-choice Christian conservatives has been holding a “40 Days for Life Vigil” on the sidewalk in front of the clinic since Sept. 27.

In response, the Feminist Action Team of the Indivisible Mass Coalition has organized a peaceful counter-protest called “40 Days of Help,” which includes standouts with pro-choice signs and an opportunity for reproductive rights supporters to take a free bin back to their community to bring back filled with items for the clinic’s clients — such as toiletries, sweatpants and sweatshirts.

A group of us pro-choice clergy from across the Cape (including Revs. Nell Fields, Nancy McHugh, Tina Walker-Morin, Helen Nablo, Sally Norris, Barbara Peterson, Nancy Strickland, Jennie Valentine, Deborah Warner, Kathleen Welcome, Christina Williams and Rabbis David Freelund, Elias Lieberman and Deborah Mangan) decided to join in by holding a “Vigil for Choice” every Wednesday from noon to 1 p.m.

Calling ourselves “Clergy for Choice,” we are a diverse group of Christian, Jewish and Unitarian Universalists, lifting up another vision and voice for Cape Cod that includes faith, love and compassion. We come together each Wednesday to hold our “Clergy for Choice” banner both to support the clinic and its clients and to make sure that the people of Cape Cod know that the Anti-Abortion Christian Right does not speak for all faiths or for the clergy that represent them.

Being pro-choice means we believe women and transmen should have access to health care without judgment and impediment. It means that we believe our bodies should not be controlled by or condemned by any faith community. We would like to see access to safe, affordable and complete health care for all Cape Codders, that focuses on the whole person and not just around giving birth. Reproductive justice is the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children and parent the children we have in safe and sustainable communities. We believe this is what God's love looks like.

The Rev. Margot Critchfield is an Episcopal priest who retired to Sandwich in 2017. Rev. Kristen Harper is pastor at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Barnstable.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Cape Cod Clergy for Choice protest in support of reproductive rights