The Pro-Voice Project seeks submissions for upcoming abortion stories production

By Reader Staff

In an effort to bring the subject of abortion out of the realm of shadow and shame, two local women are spearheading a project to tell area residents’ personal stories of choice. 

The enterprise, known as “The Pro-Voice Project,” seeks essays illuminating the myriad ways in which abortion touches the lives of both men and women, individuals and families, in real time and in retrospect, across the range of ages, income and backgrounds. These essays might be positive, negative or a mixture of the two. The right kind of story for this project is the one that is both personal and true.

Courtesy photo.

Jen Jackson Quintano (who Reader readers will recognize as “The Lumberjill” columnist) and local theater figure and writer Dorothy Prophet conceived of “The Pro-Voice Project” in response to the recent rollback of women’s reproductive rights nationally and in anticipation of Idaho further curtailing — and even criminalizing — a pregnant woman’s right to choose.

“I believe in the power of stories,” said Quintano. “In an era of polarization and vitriol, stories have the power to connect us, to generate compassion, to honor the complexities of the human experience rather than distilling everything to black and white.”

“So many of us carry these stories, but we don’t give voice to them” she adds. “It’s time we all came to understand the true breadth and depth of personal abortion experiences.”

The Pro-Voice Project seeks essays up to 800 words in length from residents of North Idaho and the surrounding region. Stories may be submitted anonymously, and “The Pro-Voice Project” promises to protect the identity of anyone not choosing to be named. Email submissions to theprovoiceproject@gmail.com or mail them to 195 Bear Trail Road, Sandpoint, ID 83864. The deadline is Sept. 15. 

Ultimately, “The Pro-Voice Project” plans to organize a stage production of these stories to promote greater dialog and understanding of the lived experience of abortion in our community. For more information, call 208-920-3564 or email theprovoiceproject@gmail.com.