The Reveal About Jane Roe’s Anti-Choice “Conversion” Is Infuriating

In a deathbed confession while filming the documentary AKA Jane Roe, Norma McCorvey, the real name of Jane Roe in Roe v. Wade, admitted that her conversion to the anti-choice movement was “all an act” for money from the Christian Right Movement.

The Daily Beast shared this information in a write-up about the upcoming documentary, saying it ends with a curveball that McCorvey admits that the only reason she later became the face of the anti-choice movement was that Evangelical groups paid her to be one. They report that AKA Jane Roe “finds documents disclosing at least $456,911 in “benevolent gifts” from the anti-abortion movement to McCorvey.”

“This is my deathbed confession,” she chuckles, sitting in a chair in her nursing home room, on oxygen. Sweeney asks McCorvey, “Did [the evangelicals] use you as a trophy?” “Of course,” she replies. “I was the Big Fish.” “Do you think you would say that you used them?” Sweeney responds. “Well,” says McCorvey, “I think it was a mutual thing. I took their money and they took me out in front of the cameras and told me what to say. That’s what I’d say.” She even gives an example of her scripted anti-abortion lines. “I’m a good actress,” she points out. “Of course, I’m not acting now.”

Poor, queer, and a sexual abuse survivor, McCorvey led a complex life which the documentary lays out, and it shows how she was manipulated by the right into becoming a figurehead for their movement for the past 40 years. This included forcing her to break up with her long time girlfriend. AKA Jane’s findings are a huge revelation and no doubt heartbreaking for those on the pro-choice movement to discover that this betrayal came from a monetary place.

I have empathy for McCorvey, but I also know that when I read this it felt like a swift kick in the solar plexus. The Right loves to takes stories about women who “regret” having abortions and use it as a morality tool against those of us who are pro-choice, yet this is a step beyond. I’m not surprised to hear that they would sink to these levels, but it’s really upsetting.

I’d recommend just listening to the latest episode of Rewire.News’ podcast about Roe v. Wade; they did a special news episode about this very issue since Imani Gandy and Jessica Mason Pieklo have been excellent about coverage about abortion rights issues.

To quote Ms. Gandy, “Holy Sh*t” indeed.

(via The Daily Beast, image: Joe Raedle/Newsmakers)

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Princess Weekes

Princess (she/her-bisexual) is a Brooklyn born Megan Fox truther, who loves Sailor Moon, mythology, and diversity within sci-fi/fantasy. Still lives in Brooklyn with her over 500 Pokémon that she has Eevee trained into a mighty army. Team Zutara forever.

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