New film shows constructive talks about abortion

Discussions between women of both sides took place after Boston attacks

A new documentary revisits the attacks on abortion providers that rocked Boston in the 1990s. 

Abortion Talks shows how both sides of the debate reacted to the shooting and the constructive dialogue that occurred between women from the antiabortion and abortion rights viewpoints. Filmmakers Sarah Perkins and Josh Sabey produced the work. 

On December 30, 1994, John Salvi walked into a Planned Parenthood Clinic in Brookline, Mass., and pushed the buzzer. After he was admitted, he drew his gun to shoot. Shannon Lowney, the receptionist who permitted his entry, died at the scene. Salvi later drove to Preterm Health Services, another abortion provider, did the same thing and shot Lee Ann Nichols, who was also a receptionist. In total, Salvi injured five in addition to the two he murdered.

Afterward, the debate was heated and some wanted to diffuse the situation. So women from the right and the left met to discuss the issue. Sabey and Perkins wanted to use that as an example of how people can depolarize discussions about abortion. 

“It’s a pretty remarkable moment and teaches us a lot about what's possible, and why it matters,” Sabey said.

Perkins said that it was a womanist approach to dialogue. Prior to the meetings, two prominent men had sought to diffuse the situation publicly. But it didn’t make much of a difference. It wasn’t until the women did that progress was arguably made. 

“I do think that the gender dynamics of the conversation was important,” Perkins said. “And, like, I can imagine a different conversation happening with men involved with a stipulation that they have to be committed to the aims of the dialogue.”

Though the film doesn’t do this, one of the points of criticism for saying that, “each side has extremists” would be that the degree of wrongdoing and criminal behavior within the antiabortion movement far outweighs what we see in the abortion rights movement. There have been countless bombings, arson, murders, butyric acid attacks and neverending harassment of abortion providers for decades. All of that has far greater criminal penalties and damage than the graffiti that was sprayed on crisis pregnancy centers by a small group of people recently. 

It’s also less likely that productive conversations would happen if it was a major feminist leader and someone like Randall Terry. When those talks happen, they are almost always contentious. 

Despite those points, the filmmakers made a valid argument for how the media and politicians need to be more accountable for the climate they create pertaining to abortion. They also encourage face-to-face interactions. Before the conversations, the women had meals together and spoke about things unrelated to abortion. 

“That had played a huge role,” Perkins said. “And there was a lot of work within the dialogues to make them really humanizing before every conversation.”