CONTROLLING WOMEN

Two legal titans who have been defending abortion rights for decades catch us up on the current disaster and plot the road ahead.

In 1992, Kolbert argued Planned Parenthood v. Casey, the case credited with saving Roe v. Wade, and Kay was instrumental in the legalization of abortion in Ireland. As they note at the beginning, they were motivated to write this book “because we both knew the Supreme Court was not the place to go to protect, never mind expand, abortion rights. We were tired of our movement repeatedly banging its head against the Court's marble walls and sought to strategize an affirmative path forward." Then, as they were writing, the appointment of Justice Amy Coney Barrett made the conservative majority absolute and the demise of Roe more likely. Yet as the authors point out, abortion is a common medical procedure for women: Nearly 1 in 4 has an abortion by age 45. As such, "the abortion debate is an embodiment of the conflict between traditional and more modern concepts of gender roles." By placing abortion in a human rights context—thus connecting it to racial inequality, homophobia, transphobia, and misogyny in general—Kolbert and Kay "offer an opportunity to dream bigger and differently and to bring in new allies." They share the firsthand stories of their landmark cases as well as heartbreaking dramas from the front lines. These include the bribing of the original Jane Roe by conservatives to flip her position on abortion; kidnapping charges against a woman who tried to help a pregnant 13-year-old; the senseless death of a young mother who was refused a medically necessary abortion; and the incarceration of a woman who ordered abortion medication for her daughter. In the closing chapters, the authors speak directly to current and potential activists, sharing the "big dreams" mentioned earlier—e.g., the EACH Woman Act (Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance)—and many other practical ideas.

A knowledgeable, essential reframing of an incendiary issue based on common sense, historical fact, and simple decency.