South Florida’s older generations of women recall when abortion was illegal; younger ones face a new world

There are women who remember a time before Roe v. Wade. Some bitterly, some wistfully.

Ever since the landmark 1973 ruling that divided the nation, some have been fighting to help patients obtain abortions, while others have been fighting just as strongly to get that decision overturned.

But, with the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday taking this momentous step, how are the lines drawn generationally? What are the thoughts of women who witnessed what happened then vs. those who have never lived in a world without legal abortions?

Susan Stallone, 62, recalls a robust debate with her mother the day that Roe v. Wade established abortion rights in the United States.

“My mom was a feminist back then, but this was shocking to her. It was so different for the times,” said Stallone, of Boca Raton. “I remember we talked about when she was younger and what women did then when they had an unwanted pregnancy, and what the future could be like.”

Stallone has now had those conversations with her two daughters, both in their 20s. The three share the same opinion, though, and have contributed to fundraising groups for women who will need to travel to get legal abortions.

“Sometimes history repeats itself, but I never would think we would go backward in terms of rights,” she said.

Miami resident Lourdes Castillo, 54, said she too has discussed Roe v. Wade with her three college-age daughters. They are all celebrating Friday’s Supreme Court ruling.

“We are thrilled. We don’t judge people for their beliefs. But from a moral standpoint, we do need to protect a fetus,” she said. “I would not support anyone I love or care for getting an abortion.”

Castillo said her daughters have attended “pro-life” rallies and understand her strong feelings: “It’s all about justice for all.”

Annalise Genovese of Boca Raton, 22, agreed. Once involved with Students for Life at Florida Atlantic University, Genovese said she feels hopeful and energized by a younger generation which is emboldened by the influx of restrictive abortion laws in different states and is speaking out.

“If you look nationally at the pro-life movement, it is a lot of young people who are realizing the simple fact that young persons need to be protected no matter how small,” Genovese said. “It definitely gives me hope that we will come to a place where [abortion] is unlawful and unthinkable.”

The Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade does not outlaw abortion. Instead, states individually determine its legality. Already, 13 states have passed so-called trigger laws, which effectively banned abortions there immediately.

Though Florida is not one of those trigger states, the conservative majority of the judicial and legislative branches make it more likely that an abortion ban eventually would be approved.

Mary Eakins-Durand, field organizer with the political advocacy group Equality Florida, worries the U.S. Supreme Court decision will lead Florida to go from its new 15-week abortion ban (effective July 1) to a total abortion ban.

“Forced pregnancy is like a fresh hell to implement on a person,” she said.

Eakins-Durand knows firsthand what abortion rights are about. When she was 15, she was raped by a friend.

“I ended up pregnant and, unfortunately, my mom was terminally ill at the time. It felt insurmountable to me. So I was kind of in a corner and I ended up having an underage abortion,” she said. “I’m 36 now and I say all the time: The nurse who helped me at the clinic saved my life.”

Older generations in Florida remember a time when women secretly had abortions in a back office or flew to another country for the medical procedure.

Back in the ‘60s, Mona Reis had a poster on her dorm room wall that read: “They want to keep us barefoot and pregnant.” These days, she’s reminded of that poster.

Reis, 71, has spent nearly five decades as the owner of a South Florida abortion clinic, the Presidential Women’s Center in West Palm Beach. Despite facing threats, protests and harassment, she has remained resolute in her mission to treat women who choose to end a pregnancy.

Now, she is angry, outraged and scared: “I’m worried about the impact this will have on thousands of women. This will be life-changing.”

Roe v. Wade has influenced the health-care practices of women of younger generations who don’t know life without choice.

“It feels dire. I never thought [that right] was going to go away,” said Haley Regent, 19.

Unnerved that the Supreme Court would open the door for Florida lawmakers to take away her choice to end a pregnancy, the Weston teenager said she especially worries about the inequity this decision will impose.

“If it really had to come down to a serious situation where I was being forced to have a baby I was not prepared for, I would find a way, but I know not everyone has that ability,” Regent said.

Jihad Bazile, 28, feels propelled to action under the current political climate surrounding abortion. She became a volunteer five years ago for Emergency Medical Assistance in West Palm Beach, a network that ensures women have safe access to the procedure.

“I never really, truly understood my privilege to live at a time when I did have the opportunity or choice,” Bazile said. “So to see now that it could potentially be taken away from me is really a sobering moment.”

In the end, age doesn’t matter when it comes to personal beliefs. The ruling means different things to different people.

Genovese considers Friday’s ruling to be “definitely a step in the right direction for protecting women and protecting children in the world.”

Meanwhile, Lucy Sedgwick, president of Ruth’s List Florida, an organization that helps elect pro-choice candidates, dares to imagine changing the future.

“Our reaction across the board is anger, horror and frustration, and now it’s time to roll up our sleeves and get to work,” said Sedgwick, 33. “I think you will see more young women stand up, get involved and ensure our voices are heard.”

Cindy Goodman can be reached at cgoodman@sunsentinel.com and Natalia Galicza can be reached at ngalicza@sunsentinel.com.