Lena Dunham has pro-choice fomo. The HBO star told her fans that she hasn’t had an abortion and she wishes she had. More than a statement designed to illicit viral outrage, the cultural icon has introduced to the world the new concept of abortion-envy, implying that only by undergoing the procedure can a woman authentically participate in the struggle to preserve the sacred right to choose.
After marching with the old vanguard of abortion politics during the presidential election, Dunham now finds that movement wanting. She campaigned with Hillary Clinton, rallied the college vote, and even spoke at the Democrat National Convention. But the old Clinton mantra of “safe, legal, and rare” isn’t enough. Dunham wants agency.
A routine trip to a Texas clinic triggered Dunham’s epiphany when a young starlet asked to hear her abortion story. But the Golden Globe winning actress hasn’t written that narrative. “I wanted to make it really clear to her that as much as I was going out and fighting for other women’s options,” Dunham recalled during her weekly podcast, “I myself had never had an abortion.” And that’s when Dunham started feeling like she was missing out. Without sacrificing the life of an unborn child, Dunham can never truly join the sorority of “choice.”
Everybody else was having abortions without the actress — her heroes, best friends, and even her own mother. And so naturally, she wants one too. “I can say that I still haven’t had an abortion,” Dunham concludes, “but I wish I had.”
Social conservatives will probably dismiss Dunham if they haven’t already. They’ll shake their heads at the actress, concluding that she’s just another West coast extremist. They shouldn’t. With an audience in the millions and a consistent message, she’s one of the most celebrated celebrities on the left. And right now, Dunham’s making a historic argument about a once-taboo institution.
Hillary Clinton used to describe abortion as wrenching during the 2008 Democratic primary while Barack Obama called it “a profoundly difficult decision.” Less than a decade later, abortion has become a sacrament in popular culture and art. Now Dunham describes abortion as a positive good — an experience intrinsically good in and of itself.
Legal protections are lacking because society hasn’t overcome the stigma of physically dismantling or chemically burning the little body of an unborn child. As if to prove this, Dunham insists “it’s hard to put an abortion on network TV.” But telling her to DVR shows — like Scandal, Jane the Virgin, or My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend — which glorify the choice misses the point. She wants outright exultation of the practice.
Just like the star believes she needs an abortion to be fully pro-choice, Dunham’s not satisfied until everyone celebrates the decision. She covets the status of those mothers who have boldly cast aside their children and she’s angry that society hasn’t offered its affirmation. Welcome to the new politics of abortion envy.
Philip Wegmann is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
