Men Discharging about Abortion
I’ve had much bigger feelings than I expected about the U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn women’s right to an abortion. I got a mini-session, in which I also noticed that I feel embarrassed about having feelings about women’s rights and abortion rights.
After my mini-session, I could think better. I texted four women leaders in our Area. I acknowledged the Court decision, offered to give them time for discharge, and expressed love and solidarity.
Then I got a call from one of the women. We traded time and talked. She encouraged me to e-mail the men in our Area, whom I lead, and tell them about my big feelings. She suggested that I encourage them to discharge about the topic and to reach out to women, inside and outside of RC, and offer to listen to them about their experiences with abortion and their feelings about the Court decision. So I did that.
Later
I traded time today with a male Co-Counselor in my Area. We both worked on our feelings about and experiences with abortion. I noticed that I have abortion stories and that I need to do more discharging on them.
Jumping right into listening to women about abortion without first discharging on it myself seems inside my patterns as a man. Discharging on my own abortion stories means that I will have more attention to listen to women’s abortion stories, stay close to the women, and be involved in abortion and reproductive rights issues.
I don’t know anywhere else where men are encouraged to share their abortion stories with each other. I am glad to be part of this organization in which we can do that.
Oakland, California, USA
Reprinted from the RC e-mail discussion list for leaders of men
(Present Time 209, October 2022)