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2025 Athena Stories for #ReproductiveJustice

Jul 14, 2025 | Blog, Reproductive Justice

By our Campaign Coordinator Iris and the Athena Social Media Team

About Iris

Iris graduated from the University of Denver in June 2025, earning her BA in Political Science with minors in Critical Race and Ethnic Studies and Leadership Studies. She has a passion for social justice, activism, and community organizing, which she has brought to her work at Athena Project. Since she joined the Athena team two years ago, Iris has focused on expanding the #ReproductiveJustice campaign, which amplifies the voices of artists fighting for reproductive rights.
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Amplifying Voices: A Look at the Personal Stories and Plays Shared in Athena’s 2025 Reproductive Justice Campaign

We asked for stories that speak truth to power—and wow, did our community deliver. This blog post dives into the incredible submissions to Athena’s 2025 Expanded #ReproductiveJustice Campaign, spotlighting experiences that boldly expose the urgent need for body sovereignty and reproductive rights.
Amidst ongoing attacks on bodily autonomy and healthcare access waged by those in power, it is essential that we center the voices of the people and communities impacted as we fight for Reproductive Justice.
This year, the Athena team expanded our Reproductive Justice campaign, asking our audience members to share personal stories centering times when they had been granted or denied their reproductive freedoms. In addition to our longstanding tradition of sharing new pieces of Reproductive Justice art every Tuesday, we shared art reflecting a wider range of issues than just abortion rights, plus, for the first time, these personal stories that people submitted.
We want to express our gratitude for every person who shared their stories, recognizing the profound vulnerability and courage that it can take to open up about these experiences. We are committed to maintaining a platform where the voices of women and people of underrepresented genders can be heard and amplified, and we invite YOU to submit personal stories or artworks for us to share in the future that speak to Reproductive Justice. You can do so using our submission form. In the spirit of making this campaign accessible to as many people as possible, we are happy to share any narratives anonymously. If this is your preference, you can specify on the submission form.

Below is a collection of the stories that have been shared with us over the course of the campaign, each speaking to one of the many facets of Athena’s Reproductive Justice definition, including:

  • Abortion access
  • Reproductive Justice for marginalized communities
  • Self-determination of gender identity
  • Birthing justice and autonomy throughout the entirety of the birthing process
  • Comprehensive sex education, birth control, and the importance of healthcare access amidst intersecting barriers to care.
The fight is far from abstract—it’s personal. Tap into the heart of #ReproductiveJustice through these powerful stories from our community members.

Abortion Access

“Miscarriages of Fetuses and Democracy”: A Personal Story Shared by Jennifer Sarche

“I recently received a new car. The date on the plates was June 23rd, the due date for the baby that would have been born if I’d not had my third miscarriage. When I found out I was pregnant that particular time I’d had a dream she was going to be a girl. I wanted to name her Shoshanna. She died in my womb at 14 weeks and I had to have a D&C procedure to have her removed.

When my husband and I started trying for babies, I was 34 years old. A little later than normal, but not super high risk. In the end I became pregnant nine times, had seven miscarriages, and thanks to who knows what kind of miracle because we never did figure out what caused those miscarriages, two beautiful healthy babies.
My seventh miscarriage was the hardest. I carried that fetus for nearly 15 weeks before it died in my womb. We tried mifepristone to expel the fetus and it didn’t work. My doctor and I decided to wait before having another D&C procedure in case it was scar tissue causing further miscarriages (spoiler alert—it wasn’t). Regardless, I had to carry a dead fetus in my belly for about 10 days before it was naturally expelled.
As I write this, women in at least eight states in the United States could be imprisoned or charged with homicide for the experiences I went through. I had more than most, but it’s estimated that about 1 in 4 pregnancies end in miscarriage. It’s hard to tell the real number because of all the pregnancies that end before they are detected.
On March 20th of this year, a woman in Atlanta who miscarried in exactly the way I did was charged with concealing a death and abandoning a baby. She was held in prison for two weeks before the coroner determined she’d actually had a miscarriage and she was finally released.”
Read more about this experience here.
Image credit: Private to the author
“FIFTY-SIX”: A Play by Liisa Rose
Image credit: AI-generated image
Pregnant as a granny? No right to abort? Read FIFTY-SIX, a 10-minute play by Liisa Rose on the New Plays Exchange at https://bit.ly/3H1zTqN
Here is an excerpt:
“CAROL We live in Florida.DR. ALLIE We do.CAROL Oh, my God. What’s the law now? I can’t even terminate, can I?DR. ALLIE Abortion is banned after six weeks.CAROL But- I don’t know when… What if I’m passed that? What in the actual FUCK?(Realizing)I’m on a statin! I have high cholesterol! I can’t be pregnant!(Begins to weep)What am I going to do?DR. ALLIE (Sits next to CAROL)My suggestion is to go home and talk with Charles. Breathe. Read. Read everything you can. I’ll give you some pamphlets, but read online articles, blog sites for older parents, and consider all your options.CAROL I have a book tour this fall. My first! Jesus- I put everything on hold when the kids were little and finally, I’m doing what I want to. I can’t breastfeed at a book signing!DR. ALLIE It’s a lot to take in. A lot to consider.CAROL What if we want to terminate? If I want to terminate?DR. ALLIE Well, we have to be careful there.CAROL I can’t be a mom again at fifty-six.DR. ALLIE The first thing is to determine the age of the fetus. We’ll do an ultrasound and figure out how far along you are. Normally we’d go by the first day of your last cycle, but since that’s been sporadic, we’ll have to use other methods.CAROL And if I’m more than six weeks?DR. ALLIE We’ll have to cross that bridge when we get there. You’d probably have to go out of state if you intend to terminate.CAROL Unbelievable.DR. ALLIE Indeed.“
“All I’d Ever Know”: An Anonymous Story
“When I was ten years old, I was already sure I didn’t want to bring anyone into this world. That said, when age twenty-one came around, and as a supposed adult, I set out to make that vow a reality. Armed with a job and insurance, I made an appointment with Kaiser hospital to get a tubal ligation. I knew what I was doing and what I didn’t want. Unfortunately, Kaiser had other ideas.
The woman in charge of obstetrics and gynecology sat across the desk from me in her white coat and said they couldn’t do it. It wasn’t about coverage; my insurance was more than adequate. This woman said that I would have to wait ten years to get the procedure. She said it was a Catholic hospital and that I would need time to really think about it. I was livid. Looking back on it, I wish I had reached across the desk and choked her neck. Consequently, I insanely continued to take oral contraceptives for over two decades and if you’ve taken oral contraceptives, you know what a pain in the buttocks that is. Pretty sure the pills messed me up and made the hot flashes, etc. of menopause worse. If I could go back in time, I would have gone to another hospital that accepted my insurance, but no, I stayed with Kaiser because it was all I’d ever known.
So on to my second attempt to get a tubal ligation, at age thirty-three. The woman in the white coat was gone and the male doctor was aghast that I’d been treated that way by Kaiser, said he would have done the surgery right away. I made sure to ask if he would feel the same way about someone rich and he said that had nothing to do with his decision, that it was my choice.
I was finally getting the surgery done. The halls were filled with women on gurneys and I surmised that most of them were getting abortions. After getting the shot to knock me out, the nurse looked at my arm, bereft of wristwatch and remarked that I had a great tan. “I’m a Negro”, I growled. “Well, I know”, she breathed, “but I meant where your watch usually goes.” I could only cut my eyes at her and go under. When my eyes were open again, I was told that I couldn’t be released to get on a bus, so I had to call a female friend to pick me up. Call my husband? Hell no, he didn’t even know I was getting a tubal ligation – it had nothing to do with him.
Regrets, at age sixty-eight? Not a one. All I want to know is: why the hell did it have to take ten years????”
Image credit: Private to the author
“Precious Joy”: A Play by Fengar Gael
Image credit: “Conception,” a piece by Fengar Gael

Read Precious Joy, a play about a winged Southern baby who defies all odds and all who think they know what needs to be done with her. Play available at fengar.com

Here is an excerpt:
“LUELLA But the wings! She has wings!RACHEL They look like wings but I’m confident they’re tumors which may be malignant. Since you can get a legal abortion in another state, I recommend you do so as soon possible. If you’re unable to travel, I may be able to access some pills that…LUELLA No! Never! Absolutely not!RACHEL You realize that your own behavior was a contributing cause since you continued to smoke and drink alcohol; neglected to take your vitamins; and refused to be vaccinated or wear a mask. To my mind you’ve made yourself another tragic casualty of misinformation.LUELLA Even if that’s true, I’d never consent to an abortion and jeopardize the state of my soul.RACHEL So you’re religious…?LUELLA A baptized Christian! And if you were truly informed, you’d know that masks make us breathe back our own breaths which causes carbon dioxide poisoning.“

Reproductive Justice for Marginalized Communities

“Two Moms and One Radiant Baby”: An Anonymous Story
“After years of dreaming, hoping, planning, trying, grieving, and trying again—we’re finally here.
Two moms and one radiant baby. She’s ours and we’re hers.
And while today is full of celebration, I can’t help but think about how the current administration is not at all “pro-family.” You’re not pro-family if you’re not pro–queer families, pro–single parent families, pro–keeping families together, pro–funding Medicaid and SNAP, pro–paid parental leave, pro–affordable childcare, and pro–bodily autonomy.
While this administration believes our family is less than or even somehow a danger to society, what I know is:
Our daughter was wanted beyond measure.
She was brought into a family rooted in stability, tenderness, respect, and fierce commitment.
It has been an immense gift to witness my wife become a mom—she’s so loving, present, patient, silly, and full of care. Our daughter is simply the luckiest to call her mom.”

Image credit: Photo by Carly Sumner (@carlysumnerphoto on Instagram)

Trans Rights and Self-Determination of Gender Identity

TRANSformative Stories at Motus Theater
Image credit: Owned by Motus Theater

On June 7 in Erie, Colorado, transgender and nonbinary leaders took the stage in TRANSformative Stories, a powerful live storytelling performance by Motus Theater, @motustheater on Instagram.

Featured were performances from monologists Rev. Nicole Garcia (she/her), Alison Reba (they/them), and David Breña (he/him), plus live musical underscoring by Colorado violinist Anthony Salvo. This moving performance challenged harmful narratives and centered trans voices in the conversation.

You can watch a preview of the performance here.

“Bloom”: A Personal Story by Jessica Bruce

An excerpt from Jessica’s story:

“I stand here, my arms outstretched, my body still changing as it reaches for the warming sun, bursting forth from the winter of my dormancy into a new season of myself. I stand not for your gazing eyes though I do invite you to see. I stand proud, in love with myself for the first time in my life and seeing the woman in the mirror I had been missing all along.”

We encourage you to read this story of Reproductive Justice achieved through gender-affirming care in its entirety at this link.

Image credit: AI-generated image
“Sister Clouds”: Art and Story by Grace Pramuk
Grace Pramuk is an emerging artist from Denver, Colorado. Follow her at @gracepramukart on Instagram and explore her work at gracepramuk.com
Image credit: Art by Grace Pramuk

“This drawing depicts my oldest sister, Isabell, as clouds at sunset. I think my favorite time of day is probably sunset, particularly when there are clouds out. I love the anticipation of waiting for the sun to creep closer to mountains, while the clouds seep from shades of pale blues to warm yellows, oranges, pinks and deep purples.

I made Isabell the clouds because I don’t think she has always seen how beautiful she is—that she is truly as beautiful (if not more so) than the clouds right as the sun is setting beneath the horizon. Like the clouds have their darker forms when it is stormy and they hold tears of rain waiting to fall, Isabell too has had years of struggling with her identity and seasons of depression.

As a pansexual trans woman, growing up she had to fight to share her true light with others. She faced scrutiny regarding her sexuality and gender identity from friends, family, and society, and as I watched her growing up, I could see that light fighting to escape—to show the world her true colors.
I will never forget the day she invited me to the Regis University drag show when she was a student at Regis. I was around fifteen at the time, and she asked me if I could do her makeup (knowing I lacked any skills at makeup, but she wanted me to feel included). She got up on stage, dressed like Morticia Addams, and that was the first moment I remember really seeing her light shine through.
In recent years I have seen that light flourish as she is growing to love herself and embrace her identity as a trans woman. I know she still has her storm-cloudy seasons, but I know that her light will only continue to shine brighter.
I also chose to depict Isabell as the clouds because anyone can walk outside and see the clouds in their lives. You don’t have to go out of your way to spend time with Mother Nature when She is right outside, waiting for you to look up at Her, or when She is in the people you love. Appreciating Nature doesn’t mean you have to go out of your way to find Nature. She is all around, everywhere you look and in everyone you see.”

Birthing Justice

“We Just Have to Listen”: A Personal Story by Caroline Rose
“Most facilities in the U.S. highly recommend a planned C-section when your baby is breech. Certified midwives are not able to guide you through a breech home birth due to state regulations. In general, the skills to deliver a breech baby vaginally are not being passed down from elder doctors/midwives to younger residents/students, and it is therefore a dying skill.
But that’s where our story becomes somewhat unique. Colorado has one hospital where doctors are passing on this skill—Denver Health. Throughout my pregnancy, a huge theme for me was trusting my baby. I’d quiet my mind, listen to her, and often hear her say, “Trust me. I’m right where I need to be.” We tried different ways to turn her (acupuncture, chiropractic, ECV), but in my heart, I knew she was not going to turn. I knew she was there for a reason, and I felt strongly that some babies are meant to be born breech.
I went into labor on a Sunday, and we labored at home for as long as possible. When it was time, we headed to Denver Health. The doctors told us I was a good candidate for a vaginal breech birth if I wanted that. Our doctor and midwife were amazing. Every suggestion they gave me to push more effectively I would do, and it would help. I pushed for about 30 minutes, and Olivia was born! They put her on me skin-to-skin for a few seconds and then took her to the other side of the room to receive oxygen. I didn’t feel worried. I heard her let out the most beautiful cry a minute later. And as they say, our lives were forever changed.

I’d like to acknowledge Geneva our midwife @sacredbirthdenver and Karlye our Doula @denverholisticdoula who were both huge support systems to us as we navigated this journey and made the decision that was right for us.

I want women to know they have more choices than they might think—that they can trust their intuition and their baby’s intuition. Our babies are communicating with us the whole time they are in the womb. We just have to listen.”
Image credit: Private to the author
“Mom & Baby Are Doing Great”: A Play Excerpt by Amalia Adiv
Image credit: Photo from Beka Torres at Manawa Birth (@bekathedoula on Instagram)
The following is an excerpt from a developing solo play: Mom & Baby Are Doing Great, by Amalia Adiv, @ar.adiv on Instagram.
“They’re calling me ‘mama’ and ‘warrior’ and ‘tough.’ ‘Amazing job mama! You did amazing!’ But my face is wet. ‘I didn’t do a good job. I should have done it better.’Days later I found myself alone, soaking in a bathtub full of herbs (heals the wounded vagina). Sam is busy washing bottles—the beginning of breastfeeding was so excruciating I had to pause. Lev is making baby dinosaur sounds in the basket beside me. For the hundredth time, I wept.I cried for the power I found and now feared I lost.I cried that my breasts were rock hard and painful to the touch.I cried for birth memories that haunted me, but I also desperately didn’t want to forget.I cried for the parts of me that were full of shame and I didn’t understand why.I cried for the lonely part that felt so misunderstood, so far from the rest of the world.I cried as I watched milk leak from my body, roll down my belly, and join with the blood in the water until the whole bath became cloudy with parts of me, my tears mixing with it. I sat there for a long time until my baby woke up, and I gingerly stepped out of the tub and went to him.In the weeks after birth, I would take Lev for slow walks around the neighborhood, and I’d see other people walking their very obviously newborn babies around in the sunshine. It took everything I have (still does)—not to shout in their direction: HEY DID YOU GIVE BIRTH? ME TOO! HOW LONG AGO? WANNA TALK ABOUT IT??? OH YOU’RE A FEW WEEKS AHEAD OF ME? DO YOU FEEL ALIENATED FROM EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE YOU KNEW BEFORE? DOES THAT FEELING GO AWAY OR…? DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE SLOWLY BEING FORGOTTEN AFTER HAVING DONE THE SINGLE HARDEST PHYSICAL THING KNOWN TO HUMANKIND? DO BIRTH MEMORIES HAUNT YOU? DO YOU ALSO FEEL AN IMPENDING SENSE OF RAGE? DO YOU ALSO JUST WANT MORE FUCKING CREDIT FOR THE EXPERIENCE YOU AND YOUR BODY JUST ENDURED IN ORDER TO BRING THAT BABY INTO THE WORLD FOR OTHER PEOPLE TO ENJOY? …OR IS IT JUST ME?”

Healthcare Access Stories

“Our Bodies are, First and Foremost, Our Own”: An Anonymous Story
“Not to be negative, but reproductive justice still had a long way to go even while we had Roe v. Wade. There are many of us hidden invisibly in between the folds of reproductive justice, having experienced things without names but still seeking our resolutions. As a child, I was taken from my parents and forcibly medically examined. I had an infection—the doctors assumed I was lying about being sexually active and tested me 4 times for various STI’s. All came back negative. They promised not to examine me without my parents in the room,and they lied, for three days, over and over. Eventually I was sent to vaginal physical therapy—as a child—unable to consent to the weekly procedures. At that age, you are only beginning to understand you have a reproductive self at all. Western medicine has rarely listened to women since its advent. Even more rarely has it listened to girls. I was just entering adolescence, and I could not find a single medical professional who would listen to me—except for the night nurse who brought me a leopard-print blanket, and I drifted in and out of drug-induced sleep..
I have spent a long time looking for my reproductive justice. I have thought about taking the medical professionals and physical therapists I saw to court. But even as a young person, I knew. What good does money from a lawsuit do? Is that really justice?
But here’s the thing: I remember the day I no longer wished it hadn’t happened. Because what a woman I have become. The art I make is and always will be grounded in beauty you can only recognize if you have experienced the dark. An unending passion to support survivors, to support female-bodied people in a world which wants to take their flesh and bones for its own. I am so grateful for the hunger for justice those dark years gave me, and the deep, irrefutable knowledge that a day will come where we all know that our bodies are, first and foremost, our own.”
Image credit: Private to the author

Get Involved in the Campaign!

A huge THANK YOU to all who shared their vulnerable experiences with us—you are the movement and the moment! We stand firm in our commitment to center the humanity at the heart of our fight and to continue amplifying the voices of those impacted.
There is strength in our community and in our collective solidarity. If you find yourself inspired by these stories and are passionate about art, activism, and Reproductive Justice, you can support our campaign by:

IMAGE & CONTENT CREDITS:

All stories and their accompanying images, unless otherwise indicated, belong to their authors and must not be reproduced without seeking their permission.