An Art Film Guide To Abortion Pills: Plan C x LINDSEY L33 x Future Front
What is this guide? Created by Austin-based filmmaker LINDSEY L33, Abortion Pills Are Here To Stay is a collection of 30+ educational art videos (from TikToks to reels to GIFs) visually interpreting guides by Plan C, a 501c3 that provides up-to-date info on abortion pills in the US.
These films began as a response to the introduction of Texas’ six-week abortion ban in September 2021. Without access to abortion beyond six weeks, requests for abortion pills in Texas nearly tripled—but what are they and what exactly are the risks? So, from Fall 2021 through Summer 2022, LINDSEY L33 went on a collaborative journey with 20+ Texas-based creatives, Future Front and Plan C to research abortion pill options in the US and turn the community’s questions into answers and art.
During that time, Roe v. Wade was overturned and Texas’ total abortion ban went into effect, endangering Texans’ lives, as well as introducing criminalization and legal risks for those seeking abortions.
Still, we know our communities are continuing to seek access to abortion pills. We’re also all still determining what the future around supporting reproductive rights organizations and taking care of ourselves looks like, as legislation shifts and the fight for autonomy in Texas continues.
So, these films are a call to action. Our shared hope in publishing this collection is to inspire the creative communities we work and live in to continue to speak openly and candidly about abortion and reproductive health in Texas through art, education and activism.
*For more resources on direct support for reproductive rights movements in Texas, head here.
WATCH FIVE OF THE FILMS BELOW.
*Access to abortion pills changes on a regular basis. For up-to-date resources and information on abortion pill options available in your area, and potential legal risks, head to www.plancpills.org
No. 1 — Abortion Pills Are Here To Stay.
But many people are unaware. Or not quite sure how to get them. That’s because abortion pills have been highly stigmatized and restricted. Unfortunately, restrictions on access to reproductive health care are nothing new. But that doesn’t mean abortion pills are not safe, effective and available.
Abortion pills were developed in the 1980s and approved by France in 1988. Since, they’ve become mainstream in countries all around the world, used for up to 90% of abortions in countries like Canada and Sweden approved in China, Sweden and Great Britain, among other countries. And over half of abortions in the US are with pills.
So, what does that mean for us today? Changes in medical protocols mean that abortion pills are now available by mail and telemedicine in many states—and can be mailed directly to your doorstep. No matter where you are, there are advocates and organizations that can help.
No. 2 — Abortion Pills Are Still An Option In The USA, Even With The Overturn of Roe v. Wade.
Medically speaking, abortion pills are extremely safe and effective–so safe that millions of people around the world use them to successfully self-manage abortions at home.
But, in the United States (and Texas, specifically) it can be legally risky to self-manage your abortion, so do your research.
Some people have been criminalized for self-managing their abortions. No one should be criminalized for managing their own health care, and legal information and help is available so do your research. You have options. To learn more about abortion pills by mail in your area, and potential legal risks, head to www.plancpills.org.
No. 3 — Abortion Pills Can Be Ordered Online.
And delivered right to your door in all 50 states.
No. 4 — You Don’t Have To Be Pregnant To Order Abortion Pills.
You don’t have to be pregnant to order abortion pills. You can get pills in advance, to keep in your medicine cabinet, in case your period is late.
No. 5 — Abortion Pills Can Be Taken At Home.
Because pills are now available online or prescribed tele-medically, many use abortion pills at home. Some things that might make you more comfortable are:
A heating pad
Ibuprofen
Comfortable clothes, including comfy underwear
Super absorbent maxi pads
A cozy blanket and pillows
Ginger ale to sip in case of nausea
Ice chips and/or popsicles to suck on in case of vomiting
Snacks (including plain crackers or white bread, in case of nausea)
Something distracting, like movies, tv, magazines, coloring books, or video games
A friend or other support person to help, if needed
READY TO SHARE?
To share these films, as well as more videos from the project, head to Plan C’s TikTok or Instagram Reels.
NEED MORE RESOURCES ON ABORTION PILLS?
Use Plan C’s guide.
Updated on a regular basis, Plan C’s digital guide will help you find abortion pills in your area, as well as provide information on the legal risk for your state, too. For example, click here for all of the information and recommendations they’ve gathered for Texans.
THANK YOU TO ALL WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THIS GUIDE.
Director And Filmmaker LINDSEY L33
Director of Photography Angela Herr
Animator and Production Assistant Julie Wier
Actor and Production Assistant May Hoopes
Actor KB Brookins
Actor Kathleen Tiernan
Actor Jay Fields
Actor Gabriela Campsteyn
Actor Erika Martinez
Actor Jacquelyn Gonzalez
Actor Rebecca Gonzalez
Advisor Sydney Greene
Advisor Sam Davis
Advisor Jules Wendel
Advisor Irma Garcia
We are especially grateful to Plan C for their continued commitment to abortion pill education in the USA.
PS: Are you working on creative activism projects for reproductive rights?
If you make your own art, creative projects or community work around these films or reproductive health causes, feel free to share them with us by emailing hello@futurefronttexas.org for consideration in any of our upcoming Texan Feminist Initiatives.
This project is part of Future Front’s Texan Feminist Initiatives.
At Future Front, our work is guided by a commitment to improving representation and resilience in our creative and small business communities. This has a distinct relationship to our understanding of social justice in Texas—which includes reproductive justice.
We envision a Texas that acknowledges and fights against the intersectional issues that affect the health of people with uteruses, like access to resources that cover basic needs, systemic racism, transphobia, abuse and violence, sexual miseducation and more. We envision a Texas without sexual stigma—a Texas that does not work to prevent all genders and sexes from receiving appropriate reproductive care and health services.
We envision a Texas where spaces that prioritize individual agency and the communication of truthful, responsible information thrive. We envision a Texas where abortion is decriminalized. We envision a Texas where we can speak for ourselves.