Katie Kaessinger

I think people automatically assume I am pro-life when I state that I was adopted — after all, adoption is often seen as a prime alternative to abortion. However, I do not agree with this logic at all. First of all, it is unfair to require a woman to give up her bodily autonomy in order to carry and deliver a baby that she does not want. Secondly, with our foster care system as broken as it is, I actually think the whole notion of “a child being adopted into a very good family” is oftentimes a myth. When people say things like “What if you were aborted?,” I often respond by saying that I would rather have been aborted than raised by people who clearly did not want me or could not adequately take care of me. I am ultimately so grateful that I ended up where I am and with a family who loves me and provides for me, but this is not always this case. I urge women to choose life when they can — when they are comfortable carrying the baby to term and have a family member or friend or suitable prospective parents who wants to adopt it — but ultimately, it is up to the woman. She knows her situation best.