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Monday, Oct 25, 2010 1:32 PM UTC

Husband confronts abortion protesters

After activists yell at his wife outside a clinic, he gives them a piece of his mind and videotapes the whole thing

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Topics: Abortion, Broadsheet, Love and Sex,

Husband confronts abortion protesters

We’re used to seeing videos of anti-abortion activists spewing venom in front of women’s clinics, but rarely do we get to see the tables turned. Thanks to Aaron Gouveia,  now we do.

He and his 16-weeks-pregnant wife went to a women’s clinic in Brookline, Mass. for an abortion after discovering that their baby had a congenital deformity with no chance for survival. On their way in, they were confronted by images of dismembered fetuses and two women yelling, “You’re killing your unborn baby!” Enraged, Gouveia decided to confront the protesters while his wife was in surgery, and he caught the whole interaction on his cellphone. In an essay for The Good Men Project, he admits to feeling a bit “foolish for getting so heated” in the moment, but who can blame him? Not to mention, any foolishness on his part is overshadowed by the Christian protesters’ decidedly un-Christ-like behavior.

The video, which you’ll find below, is a reminder that reproductive rights isn’t just a women’s issue, and Gouveia’s essay makes a simple, genderless plea: “If you’re able, stand up to these bullies in nonviolent ways. Speak out. And if you have a camera, use it.”

Tracy Clark-Flory

Tracy Clark-Flory is a staff writer at Salon. Follow @tracyclarkflory on Twitter and Facebook. More Tracy Clark-Flory.

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