Woman 'Dresses Like A Boy' While Walking Past Planned Parenthood To Avoid Harassment
Her actions speak volumes about the world women are living in today.
@keylieewdards / TikTok / Jonathan Weiss / Shutterstock The challenges of being a woman never seem to end. From economic inequalities to societal expectations, it seems impossible to exist as a woman without facing some sort of discrimination.
One of the most significant obstacles that women, specifically those in the U.S., are currently facing is access to reproductive rights and health after the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe vs. Wade.
Even if women manage to access safe abortions or reproductive health care, they are often met with the wrath of pro-life activists who often linger outside of women's health centers and harass any woman who enters the building while attempting to convince them to change their minds.
However, would they even bat an eye if a man entered the facility? One woman decided to test the theory.
The woman dressed up ‘like a boy’ to avoid harassment from pro-life activists as she walked by a Planned Parenthood.
In a TikTok video, Kellie Edwards films herself walking outside of a Planned Parenthood center in Boston. There is a group of what appear to be pro-life protestors standing outside the building holding signs, ready to battle any woman who dares to enter.
Luckily, Kellie devised a plan that would protect her from the unruly protestors. She dressed up as a stereotypical man with a thick green jacket while tucking her long hair into a cap and hoodie.
“Planned Parenthood hack: dress like a boy so they don’t harass you,” Kellie writes in the text overlay of her video.
Her hack appears to work, and the protestors do not even bother to look in her direction as she walks by them.
In the comments section, Kellie clarified that she did not enter the Planned Parenthood building and was simply walking by. However, she believes that her hack would have been just as effective had she gone into the facility.
While many TikTok users commended Kellie’s actions, claiming that they would do the same thing the next time they had to enter or stroll by a Planned Parenthood, the video depicts the heartbreaking reality of the world that women are living in today.
Having to dress in what is considered “men’s clothing” in order to protect yourself from harassment and derogatory remarks should not be the norm for any woman who is attempting to seek reproductive healthcare.
Would a man who is entering a medical facility to undergo a vasectomy have to deal with opposing strangers outside the building instructing him what to do with his body? Or would he be forced to dress as a woman to avoid it all? Absolutely not.
Planned Parenthood provides life-changing healthcare for women besides abortion.
It is important to note that contrary to the popular myth, Planned Parenthood provides so much more than abortion services. Medical providers offer women birth control options, cancer screenings, STD tests, and pelvic exams.
Alexis McGill Johnson, the President of Planned Parenthood, appeared on the Daily Show to shut down rumors that the health center is “an abortion factory.”
“Planned Parenthood really represents reproductive freedom,” she explained to host, Leslie Jones. “When you walk into a Planned Parenthood health center, you may be coming for birth control, STI testing, cervical cancer screenings, breast cancer screenings, gender-affirming care.”
McGill Johnson added that in addition to all of these services, Planned Parenthood “proudly provides” abortion since it is a crucial part of healthcare. Some Planned Parenthood centers even offer prenatal care for pregnant women who intend on having their babies.
The decision to end a pregnancy is very personal and one that people may choose for various reasons. Whether it be fetal anomalies, the financial inability to provide for a child, being trapped in an abusive relationship, or simply just no desire to be a parent and raise a child are all valid concerns and reasons why some women opt to have an abortion.
The reasons do not make the choice an easy one, and it is something that many women wrestle with and struggle with long after the decision is made.
The last thing they should have to worry about is complete strangers who know nothing about their circumstances (and likely would not even be the ones to step up and take their babies if they ended up having them) heckling and publicly shaming them when all they want to do is seek proper healthcare.
Reproductive healthcare is a crucial right that all should be entitled to.
Out of the 73 million abortions that occur annually worldwide, nearly 33 million of them are unsafe and are performed by untrained providers, per WHO.
Unsafe abortions are the leading preventable cause of maternal deaths. However, we most likely will not see “pro-life” protestors advocating for the women who have lost their lives because of it.
Reproductive healthcare is not just about ensuring reproductive rights. It's about ensuring that all individuals — regardless of gender, age, socioeconomic status, or other factors — have access to the care they need to lead healthy, fulfilling lives.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.