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What can the abortion rights movement learn from marriage equality’s success?

ANSIRH’s Katrina Kimport considers how the structure of the social movements themselves—and not their content—can explain why marriage equality has enjoyed recent triumphs while abortion rights has lately experienced setbacks in the new publication, “Divergent Successes: What the Abortion Rights Movement Can Learn from Marriage Equality’s Success,” published in Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health.

Successful social movements—across political causes—have organizational diversity, use a culturally resonant message frame, and enjoy a favorable legal and political climate. In recent years, marriage equality has had all three: established, national, mainstream organizations along with grass roots organizations; a persuasive and powerful “love and commitment” frame for their social change message; and favorable political and legal opportunities. Dr. Kimport argues that the presence of these factors is key to explaining the marriage equality movement’s recent gains, including the 2015 Supreme Court decision finding a constitutional right to marriage for same-sex couples.

In contrast, in the current moment, the abortion rights movement lacks these features. It is organizationally homogenous, made up primarily of mainstream, national organizations, relies primarily on a “rights” frame that has been co-opted by opponents and has waning cultural resonance, and faces a mostly hostile legal and political climate (even in the wake of the favorable Whole Woman’s Health Supreme Court decision). From this perspective, to change its fortunes, the abortion rights movement should seek new resonant framings for its message and support the diversification of its organizational structure. Working through the tensions between the abortion rights and reproductive justice movements to build a coalition or a united movement may offer opportunities on both fronts.

Read more on the publisher's website.

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