Los Angeles, Dec 21 (IANS) Actress Lena Dunham has come under fire for stating that although she has never had an abortion she wishes she had in order to fight the stigma surrounding the controversial issue.
Dunham made the statement in the latest episode of her “Women of the Hour” podcast, reports nydailynews.com.
During the episode she talked about a visit to Planned Parenthood when a girl asked Dunham if she would take part in a project involving women sharing stories about abortions.
“I wanted to make it really clear to her that as much as I was going out and fighting for other women’s options, I myself had never had an abortion,” Dunham said.
“And I realised then that even I was carrying within myself stigma around this issue. Even I, the woman who cares as much as anybody about a woman’s right to choose, felt it was important that people know that I was unblemished in this department,” she added.
Dunham further went on and said: “I feel so proud of them for their bravery, for their self-knowledge, and it was a really important moment for me then to realise I had internalised some of what society was throwing at us and I had to put it in the garbage.
“Now I can say that I still haven’t had an abortion, but I wish I had.”
Dunham’s comments have been criticised by many over Twitter, with users condemning her insensitivity towards women who have undergone the procedure themselves.
Actress Lena Dunham has apologised after she was criticised for declaring she never had an abortion but wishes she had.
The creator and star of comedy TV series Girls said she did not intend to “trivialise” terminating a pregnancy following comments she made during her Women Of The Hour podcast.
Lena, 30, had recalled an incident at a Planned Parenthood meeting in Texas when she was asked to share a story about her own abortion.
She told listeners that she had never gone through the procedure, before adding: “But I wish I had.”
Her remarks prompted a wave of criticism online, with one pro-life charity saying Lena was treating abortions “like getting your appendix removed”.
In a post on Instagram alongside a picture featuring the word “Choice”, Lena said she was “proud” of the women who took part in the podcast which focused on the issue of abortion.
“I truly hope a distasteful joke on my part won’t diminish the amazing work of all the women who participated,” she wrote.
“I would never, ever intentionally trivialise the emotional and physical challenges of terminating a pregnancy. My only goal is to increase awareness and decrease stigma.
“I know plenty of people will never like a thing that leaves my lips, mea culpas or no, but this apology is for the women who have placed their trust in me. You mean everything to me.”
During the podcast, Lena – who describes herself an an “abortion rights activist” – told listeners she realised she was carrying her own “stigma” about the issue when she quickly corrected the woman who believed she had had an abortion.
She said: “I wanted to make it really clear to her that as much as I was going out and fighting for other women’s options, I myself had never had an abortion. I realised then that even I was carrying within myself stigma around this issue.
“So many people I love – my mother, my best friends – have had to have abortions for all kinds of reasons. I feel so proud of them for their bravery, for their self-knowledge, and it was a really important moment for me then that I had internalised some of what society was throwing at us and I had to put it in the garbage.
“Now I can say I still haven’t had an abortion, but I wish I had.”
John Gerardi, executive director of pro-life charity Right To Life of Central California, branded Lena’s comments “inflammatory and unhelpful”.
He told the Press Association: “Even if you accept the argument that women have a right to obtain access to abortions, we’re still talking about another living human being.
“Even for pro-choice women, it’s one of the worst and most difficult decisions of their lives.
“It seems Lena Dunham wants to treat abortions like getting your appendix removed.”
Lena won two Golden Globes in 2013 for her series Girls, which airs on Sky Atlantic in the UK.
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(This story has not been edited by BDC staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed from IANS.)
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