Pro-Choice Views Are Not All Alike

The terms “pro-choice” and “pro-life” are not always clear cut. Many people have nuanced or fuzzy ideas about abortion. Sometimes, two people have similar views about abortion, but one describes herself as pro-life while the other describes herself as pro-choice simply because of the influence of their communities.

Don’t make the dangerous mistake of assuming that you and your “pro-choice” friend disagree about everything. You two can probably find a lot of common ground! Take the time to understand their ideas.

A good starting point is to ask in which cases abortion is okay. People are often prepared to answer that question. Many pro-choice people are against late-term abortion or sex-selective abortion. Some pro-choice people even think abortion is never okay — they just don’t feel that it’s their place to stop others from getting abortions.

Try to dig in deeper to learn about their background and how their views were formed. By asking lots of genuine questions and listening carefully to the answers, you can really understand their view and have a productive conversation.