Authors of “forced procreation” abortion legislation have painted prominent women on social media as members of a “baby killer club”.
Joanna Howe has been praised by state and federal parliamentary politicians for her anti-abortion work, posting about women including South Australian Greens leader Tammy Franks on Instagram and Twitter Works of art.
Franks said the posts were “intended to incite hatred.”
Howe published the illustrations of the women’s distorted faces under the title “Baby Killers Club,” in a style similar to the popular book series “The Baby-Sitters Club.”
The women depicted voted or opposed legislation Howe helped create that would have allowed women seeking abortions after 27 weeks and six days of pregnancy to instead induce labor and deliver the baby, either keeping the baby or adopting it.
The comments under the post were full of personal vitriol directed at women.
Howe’s list includes South Australian Deputy Prime Minister Susan Close, Women’s Minister Catherine Hildyard, former Liberal deputy prime minister and attorney-general Vicky Chapman, academic Barbara Baird, SA Best MLC Connie Bonaros, Public Health Professor Katina Donis and Franks.
Howe, an employment law professor at the University of Adelaide, was instrumental in drafting the legislation introduced into parliament by Liberal frontbencher Ben Hood. He considered her a legal leader on the bill. The Greens and others have described it as “forced procreation” legislation.
The Howe-Hood bill was defeated in South Australia’s upper house last week by a vote of 10 to 9.
Hood has previously said the proposal preserves a woman’s right to terminate a pregnancy because it ends with the birth of the baby.
“What is innovative about this bill is that it allows mothers to terminate a pregnancy throughout the nine months, even until delivery,” he said.
Howe runs a website called “Justice for the 45”, which claims that 45 “healthy” and “perfect” babies have been “legally” killed since South Australia’s legal reform allowed abortion after 22 weeks and six days.
Recent SA Health figures show there were 47 terminations over an 18-month period (1 per cent of all terminations), all due to fetal anomalies or risks to the mother. Fewer than five terminations were performed after 27 weeks.
Abortion after 27 weeks and 6 days is extremely rare. All subsequent terminations of pregnancy must be approved by two doctors and can only be performed if there is significant risk to the woman and fetus. For example, if the fetus has serious abnormalities, or if the woman’s life is at risk, or her mental health is at risk because she is a victim of rape, incest, or domestic violence.
If a woman fails to seek help early, or is unable to seek help for a variety of reasons, pregnancy may be delayed until later in life. There are also delays in the system, especially for women living in rural and remote areas. Abnormal testing may also delay the process.
Franks said concerned friends and family brought Howe’s Instagram posts to her attention.
“It baffles me why someone would do this, and even more baffling to me why they’re only targeting women in Congress,” Franks said.
Donis said abortion “is obviously a highly emotional matter.”
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“My focus is on high-quality, science-based, evidence-based health law, policy and practice,” she said this week.
Howe said she wanted to make abortion “unthinkable.”
She appeared in a video talking to right-wing Liberal senator Alex Antic about his relationship with Liberal senator Matt Canavan and United Australia Party senator Ralph A “Born to Live” bill co-sponsored by Ralph Babet. The “aliveness” concept that has been promoted for many years in the United States falsely claims that babies after abortion are usually alive.
Howe also filmed a video with Robbie Carter from Carter’s Australian party about his Born to Live legislation. Carter recently said he would consider forcing a vote to re-criminalize abortion in Queensland, making abortion a bigger issue in the state’s election campaign.
Other politicians have cited Howe’s views when advocating for restrictions on abortion.
She is also strongly opposed to women having abortions qualifying for the federal government’s Stillbirth Benefit, telling Sky News that women who terminate pregnancies at a later stage “deliberately induce stillbirths”.
Labor MLC Russell Wortley told the debate on forced birth in South Australia’s parliament that “there are no sources or references suggesting this position.” [Howe] ” and that it was “not supported by her employer,” the university.
Wortley said the messages he received debunked “everything” Howe proposed.
Howe did not initially respond to Guardian Australia’s questions directly, but said on Instagram that Guardian Australia was writing a “hot article” about her. When asked why there were only women on the “Baby Killer Club” list, she said: “I’m not sure there were only women on the list.” There were only women on the list.
Guardian Australia asked Howe whether it was appropriate to mention the “Baby Killers Club”, whether the posts were intended to promote hatred, whether she described herself as a feminist and how she thought her posts might impact the women named and abortion. of women and whether she believes that women seek compensation for stillbirths through abortion.
Howe did not respond directly to Guardian Australia’s questions but instead read out the questions on Instagram, later posting graphic details and animations of the abortion and saying she thought the description of the “baby killer club” was “very apt”. She later sent a link to her Instagram post to Guardian Australia.
