NO,WEWON'TKEEPOURVOICESDOWN BAILEYMERLIN

would have no qualms about getting one. Well, that small Southern voice at the back of my head would. That voice is quiet and irrational; I rarely listen to her. The longer I involve myself in health-related advocacy work, the softer that voice becomes.

I’m ready to stop whispering about abortion behind closed doors for fear of violence or stigma. When the truth is no longer whispered, it becomes a roar.

About The Author

Bailey Merlin is a writer and bi+ activist with a background in media, medicine, and health She holds an MFA from Butler University and an MS from Harvard Medical School, and her writing has been published in literary magazines such as The Lascaux Review, ellipses..., Honeyfire Literary Magazine, Bandit Fiction, Anti-Heroin Chic, Chantwood Magazine, Drunk Monkeys, Dime Show Review, Streetlight Magazine, Into the Void, among others Based in Boston, Bailey lives in an intentional community with a dynamic cast of humans, a toddler, a dog, a cat, and a friendly ghost. You can find her work on baileymerlin.com.