As The Alligator gets ready to launch a forthcoming project on the local impact of Roe v. Wade’s reversal, we’re asking for your help. Students and Gainesville residents, we want to hear from you.
Whether you’re outraged at the decision or side with the Supreme Court, your perspective is vital to helping our reporters understand how Gainesville feels about the decision.
We’re looking for people with a wide variety of experiences including people who have had abortions, people who have considered an abortion but went through with having a child, people who have gotten pregnant in college, impacted medical professionals, young people who hold an anti-abortion perspective and more.
Our paper has its own long, storied history with the issue — it was a 1971 insert of abortion providers that caused the chain reaction leading to our independence from UF. We felt it was our responsibility to tell people’s stories on the issue again.
The Alligator welcomes all perspectives. Our main ask is that we have an opportunity to speak with you.
Student reporters, photographers and designers are working on stories about everything from how rural and minority communities may be disproportionately impacted to another on the next generation of anti-abortion activists.
We recognize the decision to get an abortion is one that’s deeply personal, requiring a great deal of thought and care. But the only way to truly understand how Roe’s reversal is impacting our university, city and county is by grounding it with people’s stories.
The truth is, abortion isn’t black and white. Despite how it may be depicted — whether in the media or through legislation — its essence is shaped by those who experience it, as well as the individuals who surround them.
Representing your story fairly is our main concern. For specific cases where telling your story may harm your personal or work life, The Alligator’s Editorial Board can discuss the possibility of anonymity. Although we cannot guarantee anonymity in all cases, it can be a way for more people to feel empowered to come forward.
If you’d like to share your perspective on abortion or tell a reporter how this issue is impacting you or people around you, please send us an email at editor@alligator.org. We look forward to hearing from you.
