MLAs share emotional stories as Nova Scotia considers abortion bubble zones
“A bill aimed at restricting anti-abortion protests in Nova Scotia received wide support in the legislature Wednesday, with many members sharing heartfelt speeches in favour of a woman's right to access reproductive health care, free from harassment or intimidation.
‘In my own life, this is a really resonant issue,’ said NDP MLA Claudia Chender, who tabled the bill Tuesday.
During debate in the House of Assembly, Chender shared the story of her grandmother, who escaped the Holocaust at age 16, losing most of her family in the process. After the war, Chender said her grandmother became pregnant and opted for an abortion, feeling "emotionally incapable" of mothering a child because of her recent trauma.
Chender's family's connection to abortion continued when her mother joined the board of a former Planned Parenthood clinic, and again when her sister "availed herself of the services" of that same clinic.
Chender said she shared the stories because she suspected they were common, underscoring the importance of her party's bill.
If this is my situation, then how many other women, how many other men, how many other people in Nova Scotia also, maybe even unknowingly, share this need and legacy around reproductive health?’ she said.
. . .“