Abortion Access Front brings comedic relief to repro rights movement
Organization has programming dedicated to educating and entertaining people on issue
(Feminist Buzzkills Live! hosts Lizz Winstead, Marie Khan and Moji Alawode-El)
Comedians have galvanized liberals politically for the last 40 years. Some of their focus has been on reproductive rights. The Abortion Access Front began several years ago to provide comedic relief on a topic that most people can’t help but take seriously.
The group, which began as the Lady Parts Justice League in 2015, is the brainchild of Lizz Winstead, who is responsible for creating the Daily Show. Recently, they had an event called Operation Save Abortion, which was a day-long Livestream from New York that brought together 10,000 participants who learned how to get involved in the abortion rights movement. It’s now available on their podcast “Feminist Buzzkills Live!”
Moji Alawode-El, one of the hosts of the show, took time to speak to Repro Rights Now about AAF’s work and how they speak about abortion from an entertainment standpoint.
“The question is, ‘Is it serious?’” Alawode-El said. “I mean the lack of access is really serious, right? But fundamentally, it's just a medical procedure that people have.”
Politicians have stigmatized the procedure by saying that abortion should be rare, which implies that its frequency should be decreased due to its perceived immoral nature. The comedians who work with AAF, which include big names like Sarah Silverman and Margaret Cho, change that narrative by describing abortion as normal.
The podcast, which Winstead, Alawode-El and Marie Khan host, has comedy. But it also features interviews with abortion workers, experts and feminists who illuminate the issue.
They try to find news that goes unreported in major publications. They also monitor social media to see what trusted allies post.
“We don't want it to just be all gloom and doom,” Alawode-El said. “This is a fight that we got to be in for a while. So we can't just bring ourselves down all the time. We have to try to find joy and laugh through the grimace.”
On Oct. 6 at 6 p.m., the group will organize its annual event Do Re #MeToo, a musical event where the performers lampoon sexist songs.
“The show is just an opportunity to just listen to the songs and listen to them critically,” Alawode-El said. “And it doesn't cancel anyone or take them off your playlist. This is what we listened to. This is it. Patriarchy is in the air we breathe.”