In the Weekend Update segment of the show, the actress explained that the clown costume needs to make the topic a little more palatable to audiences. It was presented in light of a controversial Texas law currently being debated in the United States Supreme Court.
Speaking as the character of Goober the Clown, Strong told the story of a woman seeking an abortion on the eve of her 23rd birthday.
âI wish I didn’t have to do that, because the abortion I had at 23 is my personal clown affair,â Strong said during his part of the segment.
CNN has contacted NBC to confirm if the performance was indicative of Strong’s personal experience and has not received a response.
Many media commentators praised Strong’s discussion, but those who oppose the right to abortion have also spoken online to call her flippant about a serious issue.
There may have been a patient, lying in bed at home, recovering from his procedure after a long day of screaming protest and waiting at a clinic, who turned on the show to relax, a she declared.
Strong’s appearance may have drawn a curtain to show that the experience they had is shared by many, despite the secrecy and silence surrounding it, Bracey Sherman said – and that was only ‘a beginning of a conversation.
Facts
When it comes to abortion, a lot of people “don’t even know how to tell other clowns about it,” and a lot of information is not being passed on, Strong said on Saturday.
She cited a statistic that 1 in 3 women will have an abortion in her lifetime. Current data shows it’s actually one in four women of childbearing age in the United States, but she was right in her post, said Lauren Cross, a spokesperson for the Guttmacher Institute, an advocacy organization. reproductive health research that supports the right to abortion.
“Cecily Strong’s main point is correct: abortion is a widely shared and common experience, certainly since (the United States Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade made abortions legal in all 50 states in 1973) , and also before that. People of all ages, races and religions have abortions, “Cross said by email.
When Strong said she wouldn’t be the “clown” she is today without access to abortion, Cross said the “SNL” star portrayed a situation many patients find themselves in. .
The right to access abortion can be legally protected by Roe v. Wade, but since then states have enacted more than 1,300 abortion restrictions, Cross said.
Experiences
In his appearance, Strong referred to a guestbook in a waiting room of an abortion clinic, where patients could leave their stories to help future patients feel less alone.
She also described a comment in the health care provider’s office that reassured her “you are not a horrible person and your life is not over now”.
âI think the way the anti-abortion movement is winning makes us think that we are alone and that no one cares about people having abortions that we are these random abstract ideas instead of people,â Bracey Sherman said. “Everyone loves someone who has an abortion.”
What Strong described – the experience of hearing other stories and feeling supported – is not the case for all patients, said Dr Meera Shah, chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic.
Shah works primarily in New York City, but once a month she travels to Indiana to offer abortions to less accessible communities. In New York, she says her patients can have an abortion the same day they ask for one.
The story is different in Indiana, where Shah said she had to administer an ultrasound, give the patient a copy of the photo, read a script saying life begins at conception, and have her patients come back for 18 more hours. late for the procedure.
If the abortion wasn’t in response to something traumatic, Strong said many would call it “fair.” Many advocates have pointed out that the stigma surrounding it can be shameful and detrimental to women.
âThe vast majority of patients have expressed relief,â Shah said. âSome people never want to be parents and it is not part of their life plan, some people already have the children they want to have and for some people it is just not the right time.
âNot all abortions are the result of incest, rape and trauma,â she said.
In the case described by Strong, it took a joke from a medical professional at an abortion appointment to communicate “you are not a horrible person and your life is not over now” .
The resources
While many politicians continue debates about abortion, many people still seek them out – and resources are available to help them care for them the way they do, advocates said.
âIt’s going to happen, so it should be safe, legal and accessible,â Strong said.
“These are resources people can turn to if they feel the need to share their story or tell someone about their experience and if they feel like they are a bit alone in this experience.” , she said.
âNo abortion experience is the same,â said Bracey Sherman. “Everyone deserves to share their abortion story in whatever way suits them best.”