Bethany Cosentino

Because women will die at the hands of extreme right-wing abortion bans under Trump

I am voting for Kamala Harris because I am currently eight months pregnant and have never in my life been more passionate about a woman’s right to choose what she does with her own body. I have found pregnancy to be a complex waltz, fumbling between the most magical and difficult experience of my life. No one should ever be subjected to this if it is not by their own volition. While my pregnancy is something I desired, it is also incredibly harrowing at times, and I cannot imagine being face-to-face with the physical and emotional challenges that come with it had it been forced upon me. I believe that bodily autonomy is and should be a birthright for all human beings, and that no government should be making decisions about what a woman does with her own body.

I am lucky and grateful to have made the choice to become a mother. If Donald Trump is elected, I fear that my daughter will not be able to make that same choice for herself. I also fear that many more women with preventable deaths will die at the hands of extreme right-wing abortion bans. We are already seeing the terrifying repercussions of the Dobbs ruling, something Donald Trump proudly takes credit for, thanks to the three extreme right-wing justices he appointed to the highest court in our nation. The abortion bans that went into effect after this ruling have been the direct cause of several preventable deaths already, simply because women could not access emergency medical care. A vote for Kamala Harris is not only a vote to protect bodily autonomy; it is also a vote for progressive justices who can bring balance to the extreme right-wing court that is dead set on taking away our freedoms. It is important to remember that abortion is, at times, a medically necessary, lifesaving procedure for plenty of people who want to become parents, which is exactly why abortion should be viewed as necessary health care available to all. I believe that Kamala Harris, along with her running mate Tim Walz, genuinely care about and respect women and trust them to make choices about their own futures. 

It is vital that women have the sovereignty to make decisions about their own bodies, especially when it comes to such life-altering circumstances. Access to abortion is crucial for saving lives, ensuring bodily autonomy for half the population, and allowing women to live their lives with intention and freedom. As I enter into the home stretch of my pregnancy and prepare to welcome a living, breathing human being into my world, forever altering the course of my life, I absolutely cannot imagine being in this position against my will. It is because of my deep desire to become a mother that I support all women to make these same choices for themselves.

Bethany Cosentino is a musician, activist, songwriter, and soon-to-be mother.