First-year Phoebe would be shocked to discover that I, a spirited member of Davidson College’s Planned Parenthood Generation Action (PPGA) chapter, who has a strong passion for reproductive health and justice, have recently found myself attending anti-abortion events held by the College’s Young America’s Foundation chapter.
While I do not agree with the beliefs supported by Davidson’s Young Americans for Freedom (YAF), I have come to learn that constructive conversation between people with differing beliefs is the best way to promote mutual understanding. Because of this realization, I initially attended a YAF event this past January where they hosted Erin Getz, a senior director at March for Life, an anti-choice organization that hosts marches across the country with the goal of “protecting the unborn” and ending abortion. At this event, Getz discussed her transformation from pro-choice to anti-choice. She was open to having a conversation and answering questions from all audience members. While we have significantly different beliefs and this event did not sway my pro-choice stance, I appreciated the opportunity to engage in open dialogue and learn more about a different ideology.
However, I did not have the same experience at YAF’s “Exposing Planned Parenthood” event on April 9, whose event poster included blood splatter clip art and a sign saying “My Body, My Choice, My Rules” crossed out in red. After my experience at the January YAF event, I wanted to attend to see what evidence and experience the speaker, ex-Planned Parenthood employee Abby Johnson, had to support her vendetta against the organization she used to work for. Her campus visit sparked controversy, uniting PPGA and other student organizations.They showed their support for Planned Parenthood with chalk drawings around campus of supportive messages about reproductive health care and justice.
Johnson started her talk by immediately attacking the chalk drawings, sarcastically vocalizing “that’s cute.” She then recounted many detailed, graphic experiences as a Planned Parenthood patient and employee, but first prefaced that it was hard to remember the details after many years. While sharing her stories, which have been proven false in publications like the Texas Monthly, she criticized Planned Parenthood for their treatment of women. She called Planned Parenthood “anti-women” and talked about the racism involved in some of their abortion procedures.
While listening to Johnson talk from her high horse about Planned Parenthood being anti-women and racist, I couldn’t help but notice her hypocrisy. Her account on X is full of posts featuring homophobic and transphobic comments such as, “There are no trans women. There are men who pretend to be women and demand we all play pretend along with them” (@AbbyJohnson 3/25/25) and “God created marriage and He created it to be between one man and one woman” (@AbbyJohnson 4/3/25).
Meanwhile, in a speech given at the 2020 Republican National Convention, she claimed that it would be “smart” for police to racially profile her adopted, biracial son. I cannot fathom how a woman who claims to be anti-Planned Parenthood, because she believes they are anti-women, can then go on to say such hateful things about other marginalized communities.
Her blatant disrespect was also apparent during the Q&A section. I asked if she would be willing to include a comprehensive summary of Planned Parenthood’s services, as she failed to mention any of the other essential services that Planned Parenthood offers. In response, she stated that the amount of abortions that each Planned Parenthood clinic provides is increasing. While this is technically correct, she failed to attribute this increase to a rise in telehealth abortions with an abortion pill, as well as abortion becoming illegal in certain states, forcing people to travel to certain clinics and therefore increasing those clinics’ abortion numbers. In her answer, she conveniently excluded that abortion only counts for 4% of Planned Parenthood’s services.
Johnson also claimed that Planned Parenthood gives
contraceptives to women who the organization thinks will use them incorrectly so that they will return needing an abortion. She implied that women who visit Planned Parenthood do not have the knowledge or education to properly take contraceptives. Ironically, during her lecture, she repeatedly condemned Planned Parenthood employees for constantly commenting on how “stupid” their patients were while showing the audience she views the patients the same way.
However, what I found the most disconcerting about Johnson’s talk was not the blatant misinformation or the need for a fact checker, but her disinterest in open dialogue and clear double standards. I attended the event to hear her perspective but left with a terrible taste in my mouth, wondering how someone who claims to be fighting for and protecting others can be so cruel and condescending to the people right in front of them.
Phoebe Olszowka ‘25 is a biology major from Chicago, IL and can be reached for comment at [email protected].
