Some people have a fear of flying. I, as I discovered to my dismay a month or so ago, have a fear of lobbying. I became aware of that fear when I first heard about the Freedom Of Choice Ohio lobbying day scheduled for April 21, 2010. Although I feel strongly about the need to protect women’s reproductive choices, I was uncomfortable about the prospect of sharing my feelings with a state legislator, especially the rather conservative ones who represent my district. So I tried to ignore the nagging little voice inside that told me I should at least give lobbying a try. My husband, however, has more faith in me and my powers of persuasion than I do, and he urged me to sign up. Not wishing to disappoint him nor my WHO colleagues, I finally signed up as a participant, more or less at the last minute.

For the next week I worried about my rash act while trying to prepare for my encounter with Representative Jay Hottinger and State Senator Tim Schaffer. (I even asked my husband to role play and ask tough questions so that I wouldn’t “freeze” during the interviews.) Fortunately, FOCO had posted detailed information on its web site so I was able to familiarize myself with the bills we were supporting. In the House, Compassionate Assistance in Rape Emergencies would require hospitals to provide emergency contraception and information about sexually transmitted diseases to rape victims. The Senate bill, called Prevention First, would offer the same guarantees for rape victims as the CARE bill; in addition, it has other provisions to facilitate access to contraception and information related to pregnancy.

Four of us from WHO attended the Lobbying Day: Nancy Pitts, Linda FreemanWalker, Angie Shyrigh, and myself. When we arrived at the lobbying day headquarters, we were trained on how we might best approach the legislators, then sent off to our appointments. Linda and I met with Representative Hottinger. He was unfamiliar with the CARE bill, but listened attentively as we explained its broad outlines. The father of three teenage daughters, he seemed genuinely concerned about how rape victims are treated. As we were leaving, we asked if he could support the CARE bill, and he indicated that, although he would need to give it closer study, he was in principle in favor. (Senator Schaffer was not in his office on Wednesday, so we were only able to drop off materials there.)

Our lunch program featured three speakers: Sondra Miller of the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center, Elizabeth Williams (a rape victim who founded Survivors to Alivers) and Representative Dan Stewart, who sponsors the CARE bill in the house. It was inspiring to see Williams’s personal courage and Stewart’s political courage, and I left our meeting feeling hopeful about the long-term prospects of this important legislation. We were able to chat with Representative Stewart for an extended period, as well as networking with other pro-choice advocates.

Have I conquered my fear of lobbying? Not entirely, but it was definitely a worthwhile day, and I’m glad to be involved in such an important movement. I also felt more optimistic about the future of democracy, both because of Dan Stewart’s support of women’s right to choose and because even conservative representatives like Jay Hottinger took time to listen to our presentation, no matter what their own personal views might be.

Kay Bork, April 22, 2010