Well here's something you don't often see on the local news, but also something that pro-choice advocates think you should.
Jex Blackmore, a Detroit activist and artist, paused mid-interview during a recent appearance on Fox 2 concerning abortion rights to take a mail-order abortion pill live on TV. Based on the look on the face of host Charlie Langton, the stunt seemed to take him by surprise.
You can watch a snippet of the clip below.
In an email, Blackmore confirmed to Metro Times that she did in fact take mifepristone, the first of two pills used for a medically induced abortion. Blackmore says she has previously had both medical and surgical abortions, and decided to take the pill on live TV to show how safe abortion pills are and to help destigmatize them.
"Abortion is a common and safe medical procedure surrounded by stigma. Stigma keeps people silent about their personal experiences and creates space for harmful, inaccurate narratives," Blackmore says. "My action was intended to dispel some of those myths, misinformation, and stigma. I wanted to share, that for many of us, it's a simple process and with mail-order pills, we can have an abortion on our own terms."
Mifepristone initiates a medically induced abortion by blocking the release of the hormone progesterone. A second pill, misoprostol, completes the process.
Blackmore's appearance on Fox 2 came over the weekend to coincide with the 49th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision that is now likely to be overturned by the conservative Supreme Court. If the ruling is overturned, it could make abortion illegal again in many states, including Michigan, where a 1931 law criminalizing abortion as manslaughter would be reinstated.
To raise awareness, Blackmore partnered with the national group Shout Your Abortion to launch a campaign promoting shareabortionpill.info, a website where people can order abortion pills by mail. The pills are $150 and can be shipped anywhere in the U.S., with financial aid available. The campaign saw 100 posters wheat-pasted around Detroit.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has called on the state legislature to repeal the 1931 law. An organization called Michigan’s Reproductive Freedom for All has also launched a petition drive to "explicitly affirm" abortion rights in Michigan.
You can watch Blackmore's full Fox 2 interview below.
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