Views differ on Florida's 6-week abortion ban but supporters, critics both eye what's next

They hold very different views on abortion but each one was motivated by the moment when Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the Heartbeat Protection Act into law.

For aspiring attorney Josephine Griffith, the new law motivates her to speak out; to bring activists together to champion women's rights. For pro-life activist Bryan Kemper, DeSantis' signature inspired him to believe that we're that much closer to the day when abortions are entirely illegal.

Less than a year after 50-year-old Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court, the Heartbeat Protection Act bars abortion in Florida after six weeks. It was passed by the Florida Legislature on April 13, and signed the same day by DeSantis, in a private late-night ceremony in his office.

Of the 82,192 abortions performed in Florida last year, 75,118 took place in the first trimester of pregnancy, or before 12 weeks, according to state records. Six weeks is certain to bar many thousands of abortions from occurring.

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FLORIDA TODAY talked to Griffith, Kemper, former Planned Parenthood official Sue Idtensohn and AnnMarie Gustke of Agape Women's Center about their thoughts on the new law and where they see the politics and personal issues related to abortion headed from here.

Sue Idtensohn, former Planned Parenthood of Central Florida CEO

For 13 years, Sue Idtensohn was the CEO of Planned Parenthood of Central Florida.

The Titusville resident, now retired, remembers marching for women's rights before the landmark Roe v. Wade decision in 1973. She recalls telling staffers at Planned Parenthood, some of whom voiced the thought that Roe v. Wade was settled law, not to get too comfortable; that "it only takes a couple of Supreme Court justices to throw it out the window."

And just as she was when Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, Idtensohn is sad, reflective yet determined now upon passage of Florida's Heartbeat Protection Act.

Speaking of Roe v. Wade, she said: "I was there when Justice Harry Blackmun signed it, on Jan. 22, 1973. And one of the interesting things a lot of people don't realize is, that's the same day former President Lyndon Johnson died."

"That made front-page news. The passage in the Supreme Court to legalize abortion was in the back pages. A 7-2 majority. And it was just taken for granted. I think one of the things we missed in the women's movement was that there was this whole group doggedly determined to overturn this; thought it was horrible for women to have autonomy over their bodies. Stealthily, and through the courts over the last 10 years, they were chipping away at the sides."

Those who decry safe, legal abortion, Idtensohn said, are not thinking about the women seeking help, or showing true concern for the children of families in dire need of assistance.

Just 3% of the Planned Parenthood clients in her tenure had abortions, but that 3% "represented the spectrum of women," she said. Those in abusive relationships. Those who simply had an unplanned pregnancy — one, a female doctor. A woman who came to the clinic with a jar full of quarters, seeking help. Women who already had children, who'd taken three or four buses to get to the clinic for a safe abortion and said, "I just can't have another child right now. Help."

"If you don't have a relative, you don't have a mother, you don't have someone that can take care of your child, which oftentimes happens, but sometimes it doesn't ... what are you going to do?" Idtensohn said.

Watching as the Florida Legislature moved to pass the bill DeSantis signed in that late-night ceremony, she was struck by the number of men who were adamant about making it law.

Looking ahead for Brevard County and Florida, she wants to see more Democrats get into policymaking at the local level in Florida, and wind up in Tallahassee and beyond. She wants to see more representation, period, for people across the board.

"I do not understand how men can stand up and pass these laws on abortion, when they have no agency in this," Idtensohn said.

"They somehow think that if they outlaw abortions, there will be no abortions, that women will not have abortions, that women won't find a way to have an abortion — they will, and they will be unsafe. They will put their bodies at risk. They will be faced with missed opportunities in their lives. They will forever be marginalized."

Bryan Kemper, Priests for Life youth outreach director

Bryan Kemper met Gov. Ron DeSantis on the street in Troy, Ohio, on April 13, before DeSantis returned to Florida and signed the Heartbeat Protection Act.

Kemper, the youth outreach director for the Titusville-based Priests for Life ministry, looked at DeSantis, he said, and told him: "I hope you're my next president."

That's because, Kemper said, DeSantis has demonstrated he's solidly pro-life, someone the "pro-life generation" can get behind.

To those who'd ask why such a stringent law should be placed on women who might not even know they're pregnant at six weeks, Kemper would say: "Yes, it will make it harder. It needs to make it impossible."

"It's such an important step towards the total protection of human life in the womb," Kemper said.

"Knowing that when a baby's heart starts to beat, that there is legal protection for that human being ... to me it seems like what everybody in the world should want. We are living in a time when equality is so important to everybody ... that when we give a quality to the lives of human beings that are still in their wombs, when their heart is beating, I think is something that's extremely important."

Kemper said he "absolutely" foresees a time when there'll be a total ban on abortion.

"It's not just an abortion ban, it's the establishment of personhood rights to every single human being from the moment they are conceived," he said.

"We can look back at some of the worst Supreme Court decisions like Dred Scott, where they upheld that Black people were only three-fifths of a human. We know how horrid that was and how wrong the Supreme Court was in holding that up ... I do believe that we in this nation and around the world will recognize the personhood of every single human person in the womb and give them full protection under the law."

And long gone, Kemper said, are the days of lawmakers dancing around the abortion conversation, the "days of silence."

"I don't think politicians can get away from it anymore," he said. "It's something that they're going to have to talk about."

Josephine Griffith, teenage activist

She's not yet old enough to vote, but she's already making her voice heard in her community.

At 16, Josephine Griffith, a Florida Virtual School student who'll graduate in 2025, is a veteran activist who was involved with Orlando Occupy Now and Orlando Light Brigade.

At a 2022 rally after Roe v. Wade was overturned, Griffith spoke about being “really, really fed up with it.”

Now, as she looks forward to going to law school one day, Griffith says she won't stop speaking out about bodily autonomy and issues affecting all people and all generations.

"The government taking away minorities' rights will always terrify me, but it's exactly why I'm passionate — it does motivate me," she said.

"All my free time is going towards fighting for human rights and I wouldn't want to spend it any other way, although it is sad that people like me, from a young age, have to fight for the bare minimum."

The lack of diverse voices in positions of power at every level troubles her, and reflects in decision-making, Griffith said.

"We have only had one African American president, and are yet to have a woman in the office ... we need people from all backgrounds," she said.

"I would love to see Florida Rep. Anna V. Eskamani or U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez work their way up in that office: They're some of my inspirations."

For her part, Griffith said, she and other members of Awake Brevard "are truly making a difference with educating people and giving young activists and beginner activists the right direction."

"I believe it is crucial to educate yourself first," Griffith said. "From there, join your community, look in Facebook groups; stop if you see a protest and get people's information. The only way we will ever win this fight is if we all stand together as local activists."

AnnMarie Gustke, executive director, Agape Women's Center

In response to a request from FLORIDA TODAY, executive director AnnMarie Gustke provided a statement on behalf of Agape Women's Center, whose services include parenting classes, life skills programming and other professional services for women in crisis, according to information on their website.

"Agape Women’s Center continues to be a place of hope and refuge for women in our community. For over 30 years, Agape has served women seeking pregnancy decision information. Our commitment to provide compassionate, supportive, confidential, and loving ongoing care remains the same," she said.

"Agape means unconditional love. It is our desire to demonstrate the love of Christ to women and their families during this time of uncertainty. We are here to serve our community.”

Britt Kennerly is education/breaking news editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Kennerly at 321-917-4744 or bkennerly@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @bybrittkennerly Facebook: /bybrittkennerly.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Florida abortion law: Brevard speaks out on both sides of 6-week ban