About 100 people gathered at short notice, near NSW Parliament, to protest a far-right anti-choice gathering outside Parliament on June 2.
The pro-choice rally was organised by the Women’s Collective at the University of Sydney.
John Ruddick, NSW Libertarian NSW Legislative Council, together with Barnaby Joyce, from Pauline Hanson One Nation, had invited anti-abortionists to demand Ruddick’s bill on sex-selection be supported.
The bill claims to be about “saving” female foetuses. But, as the speakers pointed out, it is really aimed at trying to recriminalise abortion. It also carries racist undertones, by promulgating an urban myth that particular migrant communities routinely abort female foetuses. Experts say there is no evidence this is even happening.
The anti-abortion crowd had posted a photo of alleged twin female embryos. However, it turned out that the image was two very young possum sugar gliders.
Charlotte, from University of Sydney Women’s Collective, said: “The move on abortion rights is a Trojan horse, straight out of the [Donald] Trump playbook.”
If this bill became law, women seeking an abortion could be asked if they are doing it to select the sex of the baby and be denied the procedure, Charlotte said.
Women already face limits on access to abortion. Indigenous, cash-poor, disabled, transwoman or those who live in the rural areas, find it difficult.
NSW Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi said there are also barriers in the public hospital system. “Abortion is a health care issue and should be safe, legal and free.”
Gumbaynggirr Dunghutti Bundjalung woman Elizabeth Jarrett said: “Our bodily autonomy is never abstract for us. Our bodies are not up for debate. This conversation is taking place in a church full of paedophiles. Who knows a woman’s health better than herself?”
Jenny Leong, Greens MP for Newtown, said: “Ruddick’s bill is anti-choice and racist against certain communities. It is not true that certain groups choose to abort due to the sex of the foetus.”
Caroline Ienna said: ”Pro-lifers should be called ‘no-lifers’, as they don’t care about the lives of women. They are misogynist, and transphobia. Trans people with a womb may, or may not be able to carry a foetus. If the preganacy is life-threatening they need access to an abortion. I was alone when it happened to me and it was very, very scary. I didn’t know where to get help.”
A student from the United States, Lucy, said: “Abortion should never be conditional. Living through the Trumpian experience when we lost Roe versus Wade, it was a shock. We were complacent. We realise how dangerous this is.”
Chiara, a student from the University of Sydney, who is a member of Socialist Alliance, said: “Queer people must take up the fight for abortion rights. We must break the mould that to be a woman is defined by having a uterus and women must be subservient to men.”
They said gender norms are being used to create more workers for capitalism and that has to be challenged. “The immense diversity of the human experience should be celebrated not obliterated.”
A Tamil woman spoke about her experiences, saying if the Ruddick bill became law it would affect everyone. “The moment the state owns your body, we are lost.”
Estelle, a member of Pride in Protest, said: “They want to criminalise sex workers, but the real murderers get off free. We must fight for all of us.”
Members of Socialist Alternative and Solidarity also spoke, emphasising that abortion should be affordable.
Some of the anti-abortion crowd, which included Pauline Hanson One Nation's Barnaby Joyce, tried to disrupt the pro-choice rally with their offensive posters, but were prevented from doing so by the pro-choice activists.