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Dawn Porter wrote, produced and directed Trapped, a powerful new documentary that capture’s today’s crucial fight over abortion rights.Porter’s film explains how abortion opponents have used clever legal strategies to close abortion clinics without overturning Roe v. Wade. A number of states have passed various forms of TRAP laws–Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers–which proponents claim are intended to protect the health of women who choose an abortion. A legal challenge from Texas is now before the Supreme Court, which will either issue a 5-3 landmark decision upholding abortion rights, or will let the bad Texas law remain in effect.
Porter explains that the impact of these pretextual laws is already being seen, as thousands of women in Texas have attempted self-induced abortions, and more than half of the clinics have been forced to close.
The film gives special attention to Dr. Willie Parker, an African-American Christian who is one of the handful of abortion doctors in the southern states which are trying to shut down all clinics. We discuss how new laws require Dr. Parker to recite false and misleading statements, which he then debunks, to his patients.
Near the end of our conversation, Porter talks about her previous job at the ABC Network, where she was in “Standards and Practices”, the department that reviews programs for legal, libel, and language concerns. Her answer to my question about John Stossel is interesting.
Get more info on the film and its theatrical release here.