Stories from the Front Lines of Abortion Access

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Stories from the Front Lines of Abortion Access

by Marisa Nightingale
July 11, 2022
An image of a young woman looking out the window of her car and the words, "Crossing the Line  Thousands of people must travel, many across state lines, to access abortion."

As the nation continues to contend with the fallout from the US Supreme Court’s devastating decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, many are struggling to channel fear and dismay into concrete, meaningful action. 

One helpful action you can take right now is to listen, subscribe to, and share Crossing the Line, a new podcast produced by the Population Media Center's US Content Division with Red Cup Agency. Crossing the Line is a ‘verite’ style audio documentary series telling stories from the frontlines in the fight for reproductive freedom. The 10-episode series launches July 6, 2022, with new episodes dropping every other week for 20 weeks. Power to Decide is a proud and grateful partner and advisor to the series, which features AbortionFinder.org—the most comprehensive directory of verified abortion service providers in the US—and other key resources across its platforms. 

“The series follows individuals who are forced to travel long distances to seek abortion services and the heroes who help along the way, from doctors and doulas to escorts and activists,” according to the producers. “Each immersive, first-person narrative episode allows the listener to experience the numerous barriers faced by those attempting to access reproductive health care.” 

The series also highlights how people are overcoming these barriers, which offers much-needed hope in extreme and disturbing circumstances. 

It’s hard to overstate the harmful fallout that people will suffer from this ruling: “The Supreme Court has not only rolled back generations of reproductive rights, but also jeopardized the reproductive health of generations to come. It will disproportionately harm those who already lack access to the full spectrum of reproductive health services including people in historically marginalized communities, and those struggling to make ends meet," said Power to Decide CEO Raegan McDonald-Mosley the day the decision was handed down. 

The confusion and misinformation flooding the airwaves is an added burden on those who are in need of abortion care and those who are committed to supporting abortion access for all. One of the most important ways that we can all help is to connect people with vetted, verified resources—and to forge personal connections by sharing compelling stories. 

Crossing the Line does both. The team has worked for months to develop Abortion Resources and Take Action pages, which offer clear help for abortion seekers and supporters. The state-by-state guide links directly to organizations like the Texas Equal Access Fund and the New Mexico Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice; national resources include the Abortion Access Front and the Center for Reproductive Rights. But resources aren’t helpful if they’re not reaching people who need them—where they are, and in ways that they can relate to. The deeply personal stories that come to life in the podcast help make policies personal. They help normalize abortion, bust myths, and offer the kind of insights that are only possible through long-form conversations, rather than quick sound bites.

With a new episode airing every other week over a twenty-week period, audiences will have the opportunity to follow these stories for months, share the series with those who are not already informed about abortion access, and take action over time. This deep and sustained commitment is perhaps one of the most important contributions that storytellers can make in post-Roe America.

Listen, follow and share:

  • Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Share episodes in your social channels.
  • Go to Abortion Resources and Take Action pages to get involved.
  • Join the conversation using by tagging @ctl_pod on Instagram and Twitter and @AbortionFinder on Instagram and @Abortion_Finder on Twitter. Plus, you can use the following hashtags:
    • #CTLpod 
    • #CrossingTheLine 
    • #CTL 
    • #PowerToDecide 
    • #AbortionFinder 
    • #BansOffOurBodies 
    • #AbortionIsHealthcare 
    • #LiberateAbortion