Doctor, Warned to Be Silent on Abortions, Files Civil Rights Complaint

[SecularMotion]

Source: NY Times

A doctor who performs abortions at a hospital in Washington filed a federal civil rights complaint on Monday, charging that the hospital had violated the law by forbidding her, out of concerns for security, to speak publicly in defense of abortion and its role in health care.

The doctor, Diane J. Horvath-Cosper, 37, an obstetrician and gynecologist, has in recent years emerged as a public advocate, urging abortion providers not to shrink before threats. Last December, her complaint says, officials of the MedStar Washington Hospital Center imposed what she described as a “gag order,” but what the officials termed a sensible precaution against anti-abortion violence

At odds in the case are sharply conflicting visions of how best to protect abortion providers and patients. The dispute comes at a time when legal restrictions on the procedure are tightening, many clinics are besieged daily by hostile protesters and an extremist fringe has sometimes made murderous attacks.

Dr. Horvath-Cosper is part of a national movement of physicians and other medical staff members who argue that silence about their work only feeds the drive to stigmatize and restrict abortion. Similar sentiments among some patients have led to a “Shout Your Abortion” campaign on social media.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/03/us/doctor-warned-to-be-silent-on-abortion-files-civil-rights-complaint.html

[NutmegYankee]

1. The absolute last thing the pro-choice side should do is go silent.

We should be describing the terrorists who oppose women's freedom of choice as just what they are.

[Hekate]

2. KnR

[Vincardog]

3. If trained doctors performing legal procedures can't talk about them; the terrorists have won. nt

[Volaris]

7. Indeed. I understand the hospitals argument, and in reject it outright.

Being afraid of these people is exactly what they want...for the rest of us to live in the same kind of fear that they do.

I refuse to fear terrorists..foreign OR DOMESTIC.

[wolfie001]

4. Shame on the cowards that enable those anti-choice zealots!

No better than ISIS!!!

[progree]

5. "Most of the new providers are women, who comprise 80 percent of ob-gyn residents"

Amid clinic closures, young doctors seek abortion training, by Jilian Mincer, Yahoo News, 4/11/16

...Most of the new providers are women, who comprise 80 percent of ob-gyn residents.

...There is a new generation of activist doctors," said Lori Carpentier, who runs Planned Parenthood clinics in Michigan. "They choose to do terminations of pregnancies because it is a deeply held and passionate belief that women should have access to care."

More: https://www.yahoo.com/news/amid-clinic-closures-young-doctors-seek-abortion-training-102016242.html

[Dont call me Shirley]

6. Bravo Dr. Diane....

[pnwmom]

8. Washington? I"d love it if they could specify D.C. or State and not have D.C. be the default. n/t

[progree]

9. Ditto. I had to look up the hospital in order to be sure (it's Washington D.C.)

Kind of like articles that talk about "New York" and it isn't always clear if they are talking about the city or the state.