Sweat was trickling down my back in the thirty-degree heat, and the chaotic city bustle surrounded me. Standing on this busy sidewalk with my chest-high sign showing a 10-week-old aborted baby, I tried to engage every passerby in conversation. Some cursed me, others shouted, “My body, my choice,” and many studiously ignored me.
Until suddenly, a girl in her late teens stood staring at my sign, her wide eyes accentuated by the giant false eyelashes she wore. She eventually tore her eyes away to look at me, then back to the sign.
“Is that really what it looks like?” she asked softly.
“Yes, this is what abortion does,” I answered gently. Before I could elaborate further, she simply shook her head, said, “That is so wrong,” and disappeared back into the crowd.
Yet in many ways, our brief exchange had accomplished more than the most eloquent arguments ever could. The image had done what words often fail to do: It cut through the noise, the slogans, and the justifications, revealing the raw reality of abortion.
This is the undeniable power of abortion victim photography (AVP). While even the most seasoned activist can struggle to articulate the depth of this issue, these images speak a universal truth. They shift the conversation from abstract notions of “choice” to the stark reality of what is actually being chosen.
This anecdote is not unique. Every activist who uses abortion victim photography has stories—stories of people stopping in their tracks, lost for words as understanding dawns. Stories of silent tears streaming down cheeks, of whispered confessions: “I had no idea.” Best of all, though, are the testimonies of those smiling strangers who come up, pushing a pram or balancing a toddler on their hip, and share how they had been booked in for an abortion appointment—but after seeing the signs and the reality of what they were considering, they chose life for their baby instead.
There is also significant statistical evidence backing up the use of AVP. The Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform commissioned an independent polling study on the effects of AVP. The results found that 67.4% of people surveyed were willing to admit that they felt more negatively about abortion after seeing AVP. You can read the full study here: www.endthekilling.ca/about/strategy/
Yes, images can make a difference. They can change minds. They can save lives.