‘Hal’s Backyard Hustle’ illustrates importance of abortion rights for all – Marin Independent Journal

Women of America (and the men who love and respect us): listen up. It’s time to wake up the wallflowers, rally the troops, lace up our combat boots and get loud, real loud.

This month marks the two-year anniversary of the overturning of Roe v. Wade, a landmark law that made access to abortion a federal right in the United States. After more than 50 years of legal protection, this repeal gave individual states the right to severely restrict or ban women’s reproductive rights.

The year is 2024, not the 1950s or 1910, when abortion was banned nationwide. Apparently the majority of Supreme Court justices didn’t read the memo that women everywhere today want what every man wants: a well-paying job, a safe home, a loving partner, strong friendships, good health, goals and achievements, reliable Wi-Fi, nice shoes, and the choice of whether or not to have a child.

Can we support the young men and women who are making difficult, long-term, life-changing decisions about starting a family and allow them to make their own private decisions, not their legislators?

Trust me, motherhood can be heavenly and a pure baby love fest. But it’s also really hard. I know someone who cried almost more than her baby did in the first year (OK, that was me). Not all of us are set up for sleep deprivation, nor do we have the financial means, family support, or emotional maturity to help us get through the price shock of new parenthood. So measure twice and cut once, or something like that.

Motivated by our collective “Roe rage,” an all-female film crew came together and decided that our best “trauma therapy” would be to write and film something funny. So we made a comedy—about contraception.

Our three-minute video is designed to motivate young voters to register and vote for abortion rights. Ben Elie, one of the main actors in our film, says: “In this divided and competitive country, laughter, art and making (ridiculous) things together may be the most effective ways to build compassion for one another.”

I hope our short film sparks a discussion about contraception and inspires men of all ages to join us in our shared fight for reproductive freedom. Sixty-one percent of American men support abortion rights. They get it. We need to educate and persuade the rest. This is not just a women’s issue. It takes two to tango. So measure twice.

In our video titled “Hal’s Backyard Hustle,” Dr. Hal Jolly, a wise, warm-hearted “doctor” in a 1970s polyester outfit, educates a 20-something character named Tyler on why abortion is not just a health issue, but an economic one as well. Using his notepad and a retro calculator, he educates Tyler on the real costs associated with raising a child. A conversation about contraception follows.