New Books Network Carol Mason, "From the Clinics to the Capitol: How Opposing Abortion Became Insurrectionary" (U California Press, 2025)
Nov 5, 2025
Carol Mason, a Professor of gender and women's studies, explores the alarming rise of anti-abortion extremism in her new book. She connects decades of anti-abortion militancy to broader authoritarian politics, highlighting its global impacts, from Ireland to Russia. The discussion delves into the tactics used on college campuses and the need for a nuanced understanding of reproductive justice. Mason warns against oversimplifying opponents as white nationalists, while emphasizing the importance of finding common ground amidst political divides.
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Abortion Rhetoric Fueled Broader Authoritarianism
- Anti-abortion narratives primed Americans to accept white nationalism and authoritarian populism over decades.
- Carol Mason traces how stories, images, and policies normalized extreme attitudes that fed the January 6 insurgency.
U.S. Anti-Abortion Tactics Went Global
- U.S. anti-abortion tactics, personnel, and funding have been exported globally since the 1970s.
- Mason links exported rhetoric to the global rise of right-wing parties by framing abortion as an evil industry rather than healthcare.
Abortion Messaging Taps Racial Fears
- Anti-abortion imagery is used to convince white audiences that their offspring are systemically endangered.
- This framing helps connect anti-abortion activism to white nationalist appeals about demographic threat.
