NEWS & OPINION FEATURE
anymore,” said Nicole Ash, board member with defenders lined up on the street directly in front of to enforce the few regulations that are on the books. Charlotte for Choice, the nonprofit organization that the property that Love Life purchased next to the On our visit in early September, about a for years has provided escort services for patients in clinic offices. dozen police officers stood by while hundreds of front of the clinic. The group of mostly women yelled anything that marchers walked by them without wearing masks “These tactics that we’ve adopted have, yes, came to mind at the hundreds of protesters, who or practicing social distancing. A group of bike increased the aggressiveness of anti-abortion stood in their matching teal shirts and looked ahead police rode next to the marchers, who claim to be protesters. However, it also makes it harder and at the stage. Organizers asked that the marchers not exempt from COVID-19 regulations because they are A movement grows outside more uncomfortable for them to be out there. That’s engage with the clinic defenders, whom they called acting as a “nonprofit providing services.” Requests of east Charlotte women’s what we want.” devils multiple times over their loudspeakers. for comment from CMPD for this article went health clinic The change in strategy has led to an upheaval According to Hales, it was Love Life’s purchase of unanswered. of sorts within Charlotte for Choice. On Aug. 25, the this property in 2018 that led in part to her eventual So for now, clinic defenders will continue to BY RYAN PITKIN same day the “WAP” video was uploaded to TikTok, support for more aggressive tactics there. engage protesters themselves, playing a game of Ash, Hales and Heather Peagler released a statement In 2019, Charlotte City Council passed an distraction to allow patients easier access while The video begins with a 19-year-old woman acknowledging the resignations of four fellow amendment to the city’s sound ordinance that anti-abortion protesters are busy with defenders. relaxing in a lawn chair outside of A Preferred board members who made up the organization’s prohibited amplified sound and “unreasonable They will also continue to post on TikTok, the viral Women’s Health Center on Latrobe Drive in east clinic escort team, which for years met patients in noise” within 150 feet of medical facilities, places of nature of which has helped raise awareness for Charlotte, nonchalantly reading the lyrics to the what’s happening outside of the clinic song “WAP,” which stands for Wet Ass Pussy, just and for reproductive justice in general. loud enough to drown out Philip “Flip” Benham, It can be grating on the women who who reads a Bible passage aloud just feet away post the TikToks — the two women from the woman. responsible for the most viral videos at The video, posted to TikTok on Aug. 25th, the clinic refused to comment for this garnered nearly 1 million likes on the app and story because of harassment and threats was shared around on different social media they’ve received online — but for other platforms, making national headlines on sites like clinic defenders like Britt Christmas, TMZ, Insider, and Daily Motion. it’s been an overwhelmingly positive Clinic defenders like the woman in the clip, experience. who goes by @alexthefeminist on TikTok, and the “I mostly get love and positivity,” one who shot the video, @42069horndog, have Christmas told Queen City Nerve. “I gotten growing attention for the posts they’ve know that they do get a lot of hate, but filmed in front of the clinic as things there have I’ll get [direct messages] and comments heated up over the summer. from people all the time who are like, For example, another video posted just two ‘I didn’t even know this was happening days after the “WAP” one shows counterprotesters at clinics,’ and they started volunteering blasting Gillette’s “Short Dick Man” at an antiin their own state or their own city. Lots abortion protester holding a grotesque sign A GROUP OF CLINIC DEFENDERS GATHER AT A PREFERRED WOMEN’S HEALTH CENTER. PHOTO BY GRANT BALDWIN of people tell us that they look at us and depicting an alleged aborted fetus. The “Short when they’re older they want to be able Dick Man” video built on the success of “WAP,” the parking lot and used umbrellas to block them worship and schools. According to Hales, however, to volunteer for things like this and make a positive garnering more than 1.6 million views. from the anti-abortion protesters screaming from the fact that Love Life is holding concerts on their impact on people’s lives.” It’s all part of a new strategy in front of the clinic, the road. own private property now makes the ordinance For Winthrop student and clinic defender Grayce ushered in by a new group of young women like the “While it has been no secret that C4C has been moot. Kellam, what’s happening on Latrobe Drive is teens that shot the above-mentioned videos. experiencing some very hard and emotional growing “You can’t escape that, even with the sound about more than making religious extremists blush The women have taken a more aggressive pains, it’s sad to see these incredibly dedicated ordinance, you cannot escape the noise and the through reading provocative lyrics. approach to confronting and confronting the women part ways with the organization,” the impact of them having a property next door,” Hales It’s a movement. protesters who stand outside the clinic every day statement read. “While we’re parting right now with told Queen City Nerve. “The real change started “We like to say that we’re the New Feminists,” from Monday through Saturday and harass patients raw emotions and different opinions, the remaining happening once people realized that the sound Kellam said. “It’s a new time, it’s a new age, it’s walking inside to receive services. board members promise to keep both their criticisms ordinance, while it has been super effective for other time to change our language, it’s time to hear other The group has gotten the support of APWHC and feedback in mind as the organization attempts people and has been helpful for other businesses in people, it’s time to come together and share art and owner Calla Hales, who for years has asked that to restructure and move forward.” the business park, it’s not helpful for us … We’re music and our thoughts and our feelings and just counterprotesters in front of the clinic simply Queen City Nerve visited the clinic on a recent all incredibly frustrated as patients, as staff, as really be here for each other. It’s just a big family; all help direct traffic and engage with anti-abortion Saturday as around 400 prayer marchers with anti- volunteers. This has been a five-year uphill battle the girls, we’ve gotten really close.” protesters as little as possible. abortion group Love Life Charlotte showed up for that has never really stopped.” And the New Feminist family is no longer taking This year, however, that’s all changing. one of the organization’s 40 Weeks of Life marches. Another source of that frustration has been the anyone’s shit quietly. “We decided that we want to meet them where On that September morning, about 20 clinic perceived unwillingness of CMPD officers at the site RPITKIN@QCNERVE.COM they’re at. We don’t want this to go unchallenged
Pg. 9 SEP 23 - OCT 6, 2020 - QCNERVE.COM
THE NEW DEFENDERS
