Organization prepares men to join abortion rights movement
Men4Choice offers 10-week fellowship to 18- to 25-year-olds
Leaders within the abortion rights movement in the last few months have expressed a desire to include more men in their efforts. Some organizations already exist to train men to lead others on the topic. Men4Choice is one group that offers education on abortion.
The group, which launched in 2015, offers a 10-week fellowship for men between the ages of 18 and 25 that prepares them on how to discuss abortion and how to organize potential activists within their communities. Oren Jacobson, one of its co-founders, pointed out that 60 percent of American men support abortion rights.
“Those men are overwhelmingly sitting on the sidelines and passive in the fight,” Jacobson said And so we saw that particular challenge and recognized that it was a massive and urgent call to change that.”
Early on, Men4Choice focused on legislative advocacy during elections and the time when politicians served in office in Illinois. Their group is not based on membership, but they have close to 25,000 email subscribers to their newsletter. Nearly 70,000 people follow them on social media.
The biggest thing they do is their fellowship. During election cycles, there are two offered. In off-years, they have three available. It’s made a difference. Some of the men operated phone banks as well in Georgia and Florida this year.
“These guys have collectively hosted literally hundreds of events with literally thousands of young men, their friends, spending at least an hour in meaningful, deep conversation about this issue,” Jacobson said.
It’s a big step in the repro rights movement to have men able to discuss it comfortably.
“Most of our buddies have never had an extended conversation about abortion with anybody, let alone with each other,” Jacobson said. “And so that's step one.”
Jacobson said that men shouldn’t see abortion simply as a woman’s issue. He hopes to educate men about what effects abortion regulations have had.
It’s difficult for men to begin talking about the topic. Entry points to conversations about abortion are hard to find for some men.
Jacobson said those men who become involved in the movement shouldn’t perceive themselves as saviors. They’re an ally and in a support role.
“We're here as team players and role players for the women in particular, but also the organizations that are working most directly in leading this fight,” Jacobson said. “They're telling us what they need from us, and we just need to show up and do that.”