The conservative anti-choice group Feminists For Life (FFL) has continually claimed that it is the successor to the 19th century feminist movement. Materials on its website point to anti-abortion rhetoric by the suffragists — such as Susan B. Anthony — to support its anti-choice agenda:
But as Pulitzer-Prize winning author Stacy Schiff points out in today’s New York Times, FFL has taken the 1869 article out of context:
What is generally not mentioned is that the essay argues against an anti-abortion law; its author did not believe legislation would resolve the issue of unwanted pregnancy. Also not mentioned is the vaporous textual trail. According to the editors of Anthony’s papers, the article is not hers.
The essay was signed by “A.” Historians note that Anthony never signed her writings that way. Even if Anthony did write the article, she, like most pro-choice advocates today, wanted to reduce the number of abortions. But she recognized that restricting women’s rights through legislation wasn’t the answer.
Doesn’t look like Anthony would have been a donor to FFL.
(Pandagon has more.)
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