Feminist Looking Glass

One of the main reasons that there are large numbers of people who oppose a woman’s right to be able to choose whether she should have an abortion is the terminology that is used to define the two sides.

Most supporters of a woman’s right to choose want their side to be described as “Pro-Choice.”  That is an eminently fair way to describe the position.    In my opinion, the only proper way to describe the position that opposes “Pro-Choice” is to call it “Anti-Choice.”  As shown below, that term is simply not being used very often.

I did a simple Google search using the term “abortion” and the terms below (e.g., a search of  “abortion” and “pro-choice” (with or without the hyphen)).  This is what I found:

Pro-Life  (4,640,000)
Anti-Life  (92,000)

Pro-Abortion  (697,000)
Anti-Abortion  (1,390,000)

Pro-Choice  (3,110,000)
Anti-Choice  (234,000)

These numbers show, certainly not surprisingly, that “Pro-Life” is by far the most used term.  But its use is completely misleading since both supporters of a woman’s right to choose and opponents of a woman’s right to choose favor life.  (Interestingly, opponents have not been able to make much headway in getting the term “Anti-Life” to be used.)  The term’s use exclusively by opponents of a right to choose has to eliminated in order for there to be a fair debate about the issues.  Any time a supporter of a woman’s right to choose hears the term “Pro-Life,” the speaker should be immediately told why its use is incorrect.

Similarly, the idea that anyone could be “pro-abortion” or “anti-abortion” is obviously absurd.  The issue is whether a woman should have a right to choose to have an abortion.  Supporters of a right to choose are not “for abortion.”  Again, these terms are misleading and have to be eliminated from the debate.

“Pro-Choice” is the most used term to describe supporters of a woman’s right to choose to have an abortion.  That is how it should be.  However, “Anti-Choice,” which in my opinion is the best term to describe opponents of a right to choose, is very seldom used.  For there to be a fair debate on the issues, supporters of a right to choose have to demand that opponents use this term.

I find it interesting how Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor has phrased the two positions.  In the 2002 case in which she upheld the Bush administration policy of withholding aid from international groups that provide or promote abortion services overseas, she stated that “the Supreme Court has made clear that the government is free to favor the anti-abortion position over the pro-choice position, and can do so with public funds.”  (See also)

At least, Judge Sotomayor correctly avoided the term “pro-life.”  But she should have used “anti-choice” rather than “anti-abortion.”

(Please comment if there are other terms that have been used or should be used.)

Filed under: Reproductive Rights