- The “Network of Aunties” is a group of Reddit users offering help to those seeking abortions.
- The subreddit contains posts offering places to stay and transportation to abortion clinics.
- The group was started in May 2019 and now has more than 62,000 members.
A Reddit user support system called the “Auntie Network” has sprung into action to help people seeking abortions amid growing concern over the potential overturn of Roe v. Wade.
The network is made up of “aunts” who offer transportation, lodging, and care to those seeking to undergo the procedure. The group, which bills itself as “a place to help anyone with a uterus,” currently has more than 62,000 members.
The subreddit saw a significant increase in membership in September of last year after the Supreme Court refused to block a restrictive Texas abortion ban from becoming law.
The group saw another surge in membership after the leak Monday of a Supreme Court majority draft opinion signaling the court’s intent to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade who set the legal precedent in 1973 for the legalization of abortion in the US.
The “Aunt Network” was created in 2019 and has hosted posts written by people across the United States offering help to those seeking abortions.
The group’s index page defines an “aunt” as “someone who offers help to another person in need of reproductive assistance.” She also advises aunts on products to prepare for those who come to them for help, including sanitary products to use after surgical abortions and over-the-counter medications that can be taken to relieve nausea after a procedure.
The Washington Post spoke with the group’s sole moderator, a Reddit user who goes by the user ID “LallybrochSassenach.” The moderator told The Post that she had been an abortion clinic chaperone for two decades, adding that things had been “crazy” on the forum since the SCOTUS draft opinion was leaked.
The moderator added that she had been reviewing posts on the forum to ensure hateful comments could be removed immediately, according to the outlet.
Insider saw multiple posts from “Aunties” based in Texas, which has some of the most restrictive abortion regulations in the country.
“Get in touch if you need help! I’m not online much, but I read all the messages,” read one message from a user named “Uncle and Aunt from Northeast Texas.” “Housing, transportation, help to get out of a bad situation. Food, comfort, a listening ear,” the message read.
Meanwhile, an “auntie” in Michigan posted a bid to take women across the border to Canada, where Americans will still be able to get abortions, even if Roe v. Wade.
“As an American, it’s very easy to get into Canada as long as you don’t plan to stay longer than you entered or anything like that (and for this, there’s no reason to think you would),” the Reddit poster wrote, offering “a room and a walk”.
“I live in Detroit proper, very close to the border,” the user added. “Michigan is an activation law state, but the border is very accessible. If you’re in the Midwest or near the South and you don’t have a better option, I have a car, a passport and a guest room.”
Thirteen US states have “trigger” laws that could lead to rapid abortion bans if Roe v. Wade.
Another “aunt” in Cleveland, Ohio, wrote that she lives “about 10 minutes from planned parenthood in Cleveland,” and even offers a “last mile” ride to anyone who wants to enter the state for an abortion.
“Also happy to take you to the rock and roll hall of fame and take lots of pictures so you don’t have to tell anyone the real reason you came here if you don’t want to!” they wrote. “Abortion is still accessible in Ohio (for now)!”