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Darcy Burner asks more women to 'come out'

June 14, 2012 @ 5:27 pm (Updated: 10:07 am - 6/15/12 )

Listen to Darcy Burner asks more women to "come out" about abortion

Congressional candidate Darcy Burner didn't think her request to have women stand up if they've had an abortion would become a controversy, but she hopes it will inspire more women to "come out" about their personal experiences.

At a women's health conference in Rhode Island the First Congressional District candidate asked women in the room to stand if they have had an abortion. She says about 150 women stood. Then about 2,000 women stood after she asked if the rest of the audience would support a woman who has had an abortion and is "willing to come out about it."

BurnerAfter the speech, Burner talked with a few of the women who stood up. They "never felt as loved and supported" as they did when everyone stood with them.

In an interview with Burner, she uses the term "coming out of the closet" several times.

Her message about abortion was inspired by the success of the gay rights movement.

There was a time when people felt they had to conceal their sexual orientation or gender identity because society shamed.

As more and more people came out about their homosexuality, others were able to see there's nothing wrong or shameful about being gay, she says.

"Women who've had an abortion should feel like it's okay to come out of the closet and talk about their decision," Burner says.

"People think they don't know women who've had abortions, when in fact their mothers or their sisters or their co-workers or their friends often have. Women being able to come out of the closet and being able to say 'I've had an abortion' would change people's view of what it meant."

I asked Burner a question I've never asked anyone before, "Have you had an abortion?"

"I have not had an abortion, but I've been in a situation in which during a very high-risk pregnancy my doctor sat me down and said their was a very real chance if I continued the pregnancy I wouldn't survive," she says. "The choices that are made at that moment are incredibly difficult and no politician has the right to make them for any woman."

She believes abortion rights will become an issue in the congressional races across the country as those in the GOP try to restrict women's access to medical care.

"It's easy for opponents of abortion rights, and women's rights in general, to paint the worst possible pictures. To claim that the only people this ever happens to are horrific horrible people and they're not. They're your neighbor, they're your co-worker, they're your mother, they're your friend," Burner says. "Politicians don't get to stand between women and their doctors."

The race to replace Jay Inslee is a crowded one that includes John Koster, who opposes abortion but did not return my request for a comment. Among the Democrats - Suzan DelBene, Laura Ruderman, state Rep. Roger Goodman and state Sen. Steve Hobbs.

By LINDA THOMAS

AP file photo

Related: Burner abortion move sparks strong debate

More from Linda Thomas

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Comments (100)


  • Add A Comment

  • MK wrote...
    Cheer for an abortion?
    June 14, 2012 8:14 pm
    Why in the world would you cheer if you've had one? I understand that a lot of people are glad they have a choice. But I really don't think there is anyone that had one that is happy about it. I have a hard time imagining someone leaving a clinic with some pep in their step saying, "Whoo-Hoo! One more abortion and I get the 10th one free!"
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  • otmilkr wrote...
    I think the main reason Conservatives
    June 14, 2012 8:14 pm
    are against abortion, is Conservatives are pro business, business wants more consumers , not less. More people = more consumers. I really don't think they "care" about people born or un born, because if they did why would Conservatives always be as eager as they are to build missiles , Trident submarines, B- 52's etc designed to kill?
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  • kata wrote...
    otmilkr wins for best non sequitur!
    June 14, 2012 8:26 pm
    -
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • longwayhome wrote...
    Many ignorant posters!
    June 14, 2012 8:28 pm
    You guys are sheep. She's a Democrat and a smart one at that. You nickel and dime posters are not only ignorant of current events but are guilty of following the flow of negative posts that you don't read and most of you can't understand anyway. Most of you stupid posters are men, so how come you think you have the right to an opinion about abortion? It's a woman's right to decide if she wants to have a child. Not the Govt. Not the republican party(as much as they would like mandate that right).She is right on the mark!
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  • SeattleJack wrote...
    LONGWAYHOME
    June 14, 2012 8:53 pm
    Under that brilliant logic, if you're not a minority, you have no right to an opinion on discrimination.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • rational wrote...
    longwayhome
    June 14, 2012 9:13 pm
    Most of you stupid posters are men, so how come you think you have the right to an opinion about abortion?

    Good point...and I bet you have never owned your own nazi death camp so you have no right to an opinion on nazi genocide. Idjit.

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  • HPD 5-0 wrote...
    wrongway....
    June 15, 2012 6:08 am
    ...you have topped yourself. Congrats. Come get your gold medal for idiocy.
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  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    Burner says that "Woman are human, too".
    June 14, 2012 8:41 pm
    How about all those aborted woman? There just plain DEAD!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Stephen Andrew wrote...
    Disgusting
    June 14, 2012 8:42 pm
    Unbelievably inappropriate
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • boomshakalaka wrote...
    ...
    June 14, 2012 8:50 pm
    i just read on the internet that Darcy eats unnatural things.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • oldreliable wrote...
    once a loser always a loser
    June 14, 2012 8:51 pm
    what a pie face ... she doesnt learn does she
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  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    Liberals are so messed up!
    June 14, 2012 9:26 pm
    They are against Wars. War is terrorism. But they cannot get enough of Abortion. And they cheer on this Useful idiot of the left in her crusade to promote the continued Genocide of Americans. Unborn American children. BABIESAny one of those murdered children could have held the cure for Cancer or Aid's or any of these diseases that kill so many of us. But NO! We keep killing the people who could have saved us from ourselves. Or Liberalism!

    Just think Parrots, your support of blood thirst monsters like Burner has caused that person destined to be your next "Dear Leader" to have been aborted. So who will you people have to vote for after 4 years of President Romney?

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  • otmilkr wrote...
    Ha ha
    June 15, 2012 6:28 am
    And you are "for" wars? Go down and sign up then...Petroleum Corporations need extra help
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • tlmbrt wrote...
    Totally political
    June 14, 2012 10:45 pm
    This woman is a FAR LEFT IDEOLOGUE, looking to inflame and provoke and further her political ambitions. Claiming the same old "War against Women" garbage to negatively "tar and feather" those who conscientiously disagree with abortion on demand at any time up until birth and forcing employers to provide free birth control! The decision to have an abortion is an intense and painful decision for most women, and many feel depressed and regretful following the procedure. To USE them to further her leftist agenda is plain WRONG.
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  • tlmbrt wrote...
    Another
    June 14, 2012 10:56 pm
    "War against Women" talking point is the stupid, recently defeated "Pay Fairness" act. It is really a socialistic ploy in order to put the government in control of wages and benefits paid to employees. Bureaucrats and courts would decide how much people should be paid, and we know how political and corrupt that process would be! The unintended consequences of such a law would lead to DEPRESSED WAGES or LOSS OF JOBS, since the certain increase in payroll costs would force employers to pay less (but the same!) to all employees or lay off workers. The only other options are RAISE PRICES or go OUT OF BUSINESS....
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