The Sick Effort to Make Abortion Cool

As the nation’s largest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood stands as a symbol of societal evil for millions of Americans who still have a conscience. And, as undercover videos demonstrated last year, they deserve every bit of scorn they get.

That said, a new abortion clinic could give them a run for their money when it comes to violating basic human values.

Carafem opened their first clinic in Washington, D.C. last year with an ad campaign designed to take the stigma out of the nasty business of abortion. With hot-pink advertisements that said things like: Abortion: Yeah, We Do That, Carafem attracted criticism even within the pro-choice community. After years of trying to convince Americans that “pro-choice” was not analogous to “pro-abortion,” these activists were horrified by Carafem’s opposite approach.

Now the fledgling clinic is opening up a new office in Atlanta, and they are determined to make abortion cool. At the same time, they are attacking the “censorship” their disgusting ads have faced in the past:

Back in October of 2015, we tried to run ads on the subway but DC Metro denied our artwork – most likely because one of our services is abortion care and we used the word “abortion” in the ad. The good news is they changed their minds once some journalists got involved. Then, just a few weeks ago, we tried to advertise birth control services using emojis in bar bathrooms in downtown DC and we were told by Blue Line Media that all 30 bars denied the artwork. Coincidence? We think not.

Well, no, it’s probably not a “coincidence.” It’s a sign that – despite rumors to the contrary – there still exists a rich vein of fundamental human decency in today’s American society. People don’t want to “destigmatize” abortion. They don’t want to promote it as a lifestyle choice every bit as valid as carrying a child to term. Even among those who support keeping abortion legal, very few are radical enough to see it as just another healthcare service.

We can only pray that, ads or no ads, Carafem won’t be able to change that in the years to come.