On a post-Roe v. Wade internet, unvetted abortion support is going viral - The Verge
After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, viral posts on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and other platforms offer to give abortion patients a place to stay. Advocates say it could create confusion or put patients and hosts in danger.
Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last week, ending the constitutional right to terminate a pregnancy, social media platforms have buzzed with anger, dismay, and offers of assistance, particularly from people in states with stronger abortion protections.
But a particular type of offer has captured media attention. In viral tweets, TikToks, and screenshotted and reshared Instagram posts, people are opening their homes up to abortion patients who must travel for care.
“If you choose to have an abortion, and need a place to stay, there is always a bed for you at my apartment in Portland. Free. No questions asked,” reads one tweet, liked more than 150,000 times and retweeted by more than 20,000 people.
Providing lodging or transportation to appointments has long been part of practical abortion support, and organizations have honed their methods through decades of experience. With the fall of Roe, there’s heightened urgency from people who perhaps weren’t doing this work before but now want to. Making an offer of accommodation feels like a tangible and direct way to help.
But organizations who have been coordinating lodging and transportation services worry that an influx of one-off, public, and unvetted offers arranged via social media could put patients and volunteers in dangerous situations.
Rating: 5