The murder of Dr.George Tiller led Steph Herold to found a website -- IAmDrTiller -- on which people could share their support for abortion providers, patients and the pro-choice community. The site says:"This website was created as both a memorial to the lifework of Dr. George Tiller and as a living testimony to the courageous lives of abortion providers."
Herold's use of Internet real estate displays clearly how the pro-choice community can use web technology to connect across borders.
In an article, Honoring Our Legacy: Founding IAmDrTiller, in on On The Issues Magazine, Herold explains her inspiration and thinking:
"I learned about Dr. Tiller's murder via Twitter. I remember exactly where I was on May 31, 2009 — lounging in my mother's home in suburban Maryland, casually browsing the new Internet phenomenon, not yet convinced that it was a worthwhile pursuit for me. I saw a friend's tweet, "Dr Tiller is dead?!?" and at first it didn't register. I looked around. Outside, the wind was blowing through the trees. My beagle was sleeping, snoring next to me. Dr. Tiller was dead. What?
At the time, I worked at an abortion clinic. We referred our patients to Dr. Tiller if we couldn't see them due to a later stage in pregnancy or a severe fetal anomaly. He was a hero in my mind, a kind of Abortion God who stood for justice, peace, and compassion. I aspired to live and work by his high standards, his well-known mantras.
I scoured the Internet to read anything I could about the circumstances of his murder. I called my supervisor in a panic, afraid for my clinic, my patients, my co-workers. I was glued to my computer as the details unfolded, not taking calls from anyone who didn't work in abortionland, my heart drenched in despair and anxiety.
I returned to the clinic a few days later. We had a staff meeting to discuss our feelings, our concerns, and, of course, our safety. Out of that meeting, one of the many sentiments expressed was the need for a space for abortion providers to tell our stories. We were always doing everything we could to support our patients through their experiences – what about our own? In creating such a space, perhaps we could humanize abortion providers and clinic staff. Maybe, we thought, if they see our faces, our compassion, they won't kill us.
So I started the I Am Dr. Tiller Project. Abortion providers, including doctors, clinic escorts, counselors, abortion fund volunteers and many others, were invited to submit a personal story to post on the website. I also asked them to submit a photo of themselves with a sign saying, "I Am Dr. Tiller" as a way of showing our connectedness and solidarity."
Words of Choice, along with dozens of others, shared a story on IAmDrTiller site, submitting a picture and our sign.
Herold (Twitter handle @IAmDrTiller), describes herself as a reproductive justice activist who has worked both in direct service abortion care work and social media strategy. She lives in Brooklyn with her very "pro-choice boyfriend," she says. IN her article, she notes that the Internet opens up multiple possibilities to share stories, solace, information, activist ideas. She lists and links other favorites for active engagement:
"We can all do this in our own ways. Encourage your friends to tell their abortion stories. Ask your local abortion provider how and why they got involved in abortion care work. Volunteer as an escort at an abortion clinic near you. Talk to your local abortion fund about how you can help it raise money to help women afford safe, legal abortions. Keep up with international news about abortion and reproductive rights. Like Dr. Tiller said, trust women."
Posted by Cindy Cooper
Pictured above: Screen shot from IAmDrTiller.com
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