Abstract

In this paper I analyse the written testimonies submitted by pro-choice Irish women to the government in advance of the Referendum to Repeal the Eighth Amendment in May 2018. These testimonies are all in favour of legal reform to allow abortion access. However, the women’s narratives are far from homogeneous in how they view abortion and how they present their abortion histories. Some offer a categorically pro-choice position with unapologetic calls for the liberatory potential of abortion in society to be recognized. Others, however, are far more cautious, far more conciliatory. Here, drawing on a powerful set of normative expectations around femininity, sexuality, class and family, such pro-choice women invoke a particular cultural meaning of abortion that, paradoxically perhaps, calls for the end to prohibitions on abortion while simultaneously provoking certain anti-abortion sentiments in detailing their individual abortion histories. I also suggest that adopting a defensive, almost apologetic endorsement of abortion may have significant anti-abortion side-effects in restricting future access to reproductive rights. Instead, what is called for, from a pro-choice advocacy perspective, is developing a culture of outspokenness around abortion to counter further anti-abortion inroads into women’s reproductive lives.

摘要

在本文中，我分析了支持选择的爱尔兰妇女在 2018 年 5 月废除第八修正案的全民公决之前向政府提交的书面证词。这些证词都支持法律改革以允许堕胎。然而，女性的叙述在她们如何看待堕胎以及她们如何呈现堕胎历史方面远非同质化。有些人提供了一个绝对支持选择的立场，毫无歉意地呼吁承认堕胎​​在社会中的解放潜力。然而，其他人则更加谨慎，更加和解。在这里，利用围绕女性气质、性取向、阶级和家庭的一系列强有力的规范期望，这些支持选择的女性援引了堕胎的特殊文化意义，或许自相矛盾的是，呼吁结束对堕胎的禁令，同时在详细说明他们个人的堕胎历史时激起某些反堕胎情绪。我还建议，对堕胎采取防御性的、几乎是道歉的认可可能会在限制未来获得生殖权利方面产生显着的反堕胎副作用。相反，从支持选择倡导的角度来看，所需要的是发展一种围绕堕胎直言不讳的文化，以应对反堕胎对女性生殖生活的进一步侵入。