When it comes to sexual violence, cultural conversations are slowly but surely starting to hit on a core point—rape, and other forms of sexual abuse, are inherently about power. That’s why, for example, it’s so misguided (and outright wrong) to blame survivors or to try to attribute acts of violence to what they were wearing, how much they may have had to drink, if they were walking alone or not, or so on. ProgressNow New Mexico, a grassroots group that strives to end stigma surrounding abortion and to keep the procedure safe and legal in the state, expressed that sentiment on a now-viral billboard along the highway between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, two major cities in the state, as reported by Newsweek.
“Rape is about power and control. So are abortion bans. Keep abortion safe and legal," the text reads.
Sign the petition to U.S. courts: Block every single 6-week abortion ban.
You can see the billboard in this clip below.
“Across the United States, there is an epidemic of politicians, governments and extremists who are trying to assert power and control over our bodies by means of banning abortion—a personal decision that should always remain between a person and their doctor,” Marianna Anaya writes on ProgressNow NM. “Anti-abortion extremists spend millions of dollars to shame, pressure, punish and harass us—proving that their interest is not about morals or religion: it’s about power and control,” she adds.
“These billboards are part of our work to mobilize the overwhelming majority of New Mexicans who support the right of all people to access reproductive health care,” Anaya wrote in a statement as reported by NM Political Report. “2020 will be a decisive year for the future of abortion access, and it’s critical that we defeat the agenda of anti-abortion groups and lawmakers and expose them for what they are—extreme, violent and cruel.”
The same group also created a billboard on the side of a truck with a friendly reminder for legislators: “Voted against abortion access? We didn't forget.”
It’s not the first time reminders that abortion is a safe and legal medical procedure have appeared on billboards in the state. For example, bilingual billboards went up just a few months ago.
Abortion is health care. Limiting (if not outright banning) access to safe, legal medical procedures is a gross and dangerous move that steals autonomy and dignity from pregnant people.