A commitment to personal autonomy and taking up space is at the heart of Asphalt Anthropology.
At Asphalt not only have we long supported a person's right to abortion as healthcare, it goes even deeper as we center self-defense from the POV of those most likely to be targeted for violence. No superficial, cliched self-defense advice here - everything we share has been pressure tested through lived experiences on the street, during travel and beyond.
Some of the best teachers I've ever had about situational awareness and boundary setting come from mentors I've had during my time as a healthcare clinic escort. It wasn't anything I ever learned in a krav maga or jiu-jitsu class that made the difference. You want to learn essential skills? Forget listening to mainstream self-defense "violence professional experts" who barely acknowledge navigating the world post-Roe is now a thing.
Instead, check out the sound, practical advice from folks who have been on the front lines during the decades-long harassment of patients seeking abortion healthcare services.
In this conversation I sit down with some of my own heroes, one's who have taught me and countless others what is important (and what's not!) in supporting patients during difficult times.
From our talk here are our biggest takeaways:
What to do if you find yourself needing to terminate a pregnancy.
Steps and technology to protect yourself against legal action.
There are no shortage of folks out there offering support and service to patients. But how do you know who to trust? We explore how to vet someone who offers help and share info on organizations who have been training and vetting volunteers for years.
Exploring the various ways folks can help. There are lots of ways to help, from donating money, exposing fake clinics, driving folks to appointments or getting politically involved. Not everything is for everybody. By way of a personal example: in this conversation I realized my escorting days are very likely behind me. The older I get the less patience I have for fools and I can perhaps be of better service behind the scenes.
Examining the emotional toll of the current environment on each of us. Emotions are high right now and folks on both sides - yes, even pro-choicers - are endangering the safety and mental well-being of patients.
You can view the whole conversation above or on YouTube. If you have any questions or need additional support, please reach out to us or any of the organizations recommended from our panel of experts as shown below.
To discuss personal safety training for clinic escorts and abortion companions you can schedule that here with Asphalt Anthropology.
Recommendations from the panel experts:
For Practical needs or support:
Technology:
• Euki
• Signal for messaging
• Proton for email
• Duck Duck Go for search
• Safari rather than Chrome browser (and use a secure browser through a VPN)