Abby Johnson

[[File:Abby Johnson.jpg|165px|thumb|right|Abby Johnson]]
{{abortion}}
{{cquote|[[American Civil War|We went to war over slavery]], right? Why? Because there was a group of people who were seen and treated as subhuman. And right now, in our country, there is a group of people who are seen and treated as subhuman. We are, in our society, at war, but maybe it means more than that. And maybe it should. If there was ever a time, if there was ever an issue for us to actually go to war over—when this becomes illegal, and if these clinics try to remain open and kill these babies, then maybe direct action needs to take place. If there was ever an issue for us to stand up and say, "This is something that we are willing to physically fight for," this is it!|||Abby Johnson<ref>[https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/executions-and-civil-war-a-preview-of-a-roe-free-america/ Executions and Civil War: A Preview of a Roe-Free America?]</ref>}}
{{cquote|Well, here's one divine outcome from Harvey. A tree fell and blocked the road in front of one of our Austin abortion facilities.|||Abby Johnson, seeing the bright side of a [[hurricane]].<ref>[https://twitter.com/AbbyJohnson/status/902200713853403136 "Well, here's one divine outcome from Harvey. A tree fell and blocked the road in front of one of our Austin abortion facilities."] from @AbbyJohnson, posted 8/28/2017</ref>}}
'''Abby Johnson''' {{lived|11 July, 1980}}<ref>[https://abbyj.com/they-say-its-your-birthday/ They Say It's Your Birthday]</ref> is an [[United States|American]] [[right-wing]] [[anti-abortion]] activist from the state of [[Fun:Texas|Texas]]. She has worked with various anti-abortion organizations such as Life News<ref>[https://www.lifenews.com/2011/06/20/abby-johnson-joins-lifenews-com-as-guest-pro-life-blogger/ Abby Johnson Joins LifeNews.com as Guest Pro-Life Blogger]</ref> [[Americans United for Life]],<ref>[https://www.lifenews.com/2011/12/08/abby-johnson-joins-aul-team-to-expose-planned-parenthood/ Abby Johnson Joins AUL Team to Expose Planned Parenthood]</ref> and Live Action.<ref>[https://www.liveaction.org/news/ex-planned-parenthood-director-joins-live-action/ Ex-Planned Parenthood director joins Live Action]</ref> She is the founder and leader of the anti-abortion organization And Then There Were None (ATTWN) which lobbies abortion-clinic workers to leave the industry and provides money as well as counseling for those who do.<ref>[https://abortionworker.com/our-story/ Our Story]</ref> 

Johnson has 8 children with her husband Doug.

==From Planned Parenthood worker to anti-abortion activist==
Johnson is most famous for her backstory, specifically regarding how she was previously an employee for a local [[Planned Parenthood]] in Bryan, Texas, even winning their employee of the year award in 2008, only to become sternly against abortion later on.<ref>[https://www.salon.com/2009/11/03/planned_parenthood_2/ The conversion of a pro-choice warrior]</ref> According to her website, Johnson credits viewing an ultrasound while assisting with a first trimester abortion in September 2009 as the reason for her change of heart.<ref>[https://abbyj.com/about/ ABOUT]</ref> (This background has actually caused some in the anti-abortion movement to dislike the massive role she plays these days, arguing that her new perspective doesn't justify her previous actions.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120625034609/http://www.prolifewarrior.com/content.php?181-Welcome-Abby-Johnson-Now-be-quiet Welcome Abby Johnson. Now be quiet.]</ref>)

The problem is, to be blunt, this isn't true. Records from the Planned Parenthood where she worked show that no ultrasound monitor was used during abortions took place that day (ultrasound monitors are uncommon during first trimester abortions), let alone one that Johnson helped with.<ref>[https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/the-convert/ The Convert]</ref> Other claims that she made regarding about her time at Planned Parenthood have similarly been called into question. For example, she claimed that Planned Parenthood regularly pressured her to increase the number of abortions performed at the clinic. However, even [[Fox News]] was forced to admit that she "had no way to prove her allegations about practices at the Bryan branch."<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110629062240/http://www.foxnews.com/us/2009/11/02/planned-parenthood-director-quits-watching-abortion-ultrasound/ Planned Parenthood Director Quits After Watching Abortion on Ultrasound]</ref> Planned Parenthood has also denied any such accusation, and the occasional details that Johnson gives do not help her case. On one occasion, she said the woman who had the abortion which changed her mind was Black (race baiting is a tactic Johnson has engaged in on numerous occasions, at one point claiming the high rates of abortions among [[African Americans]] is "intentionally being done by the abortion industry"<ref>[https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/andrew-wommack-claims-planned-parenthood-was-created-to-eliminate-black-people/ Andrew Wommack Claims Planned Parenthood Was Created to Eliminate Black People]</ref>), but the only Black woman who had an abortion that day was only pregnant for six weeks, not thirteen. Multiple people who worked with Johnson also report her reaction to ultrasound-based abortions being positive, and credit her conversion to opportunism put together with distaste for how Planned Parenthood treated her specifically.<ref>[https://www.texasobserver.org/conversion-story/ CONVERSION STORY]</ref>

Elsewhere, she has repeated various well-known [[hoax]]es about her former bosses. On one occasion, she claimed that Planned Parenthood has connections to child [[sex trafficking]].<ref>[https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/religious-right-leaders-rush-to-embrace-hoax-video-attack-on-planned-parenthood-2/ Religious Right Leaders Rush To Embrace Hoax Video Attack on Planned Parenthood]</ref> At another point, she argued that the organization has a a quota for the number of abortions that need to be performed.<ref>[https://www.mediamatters.org/tucker-carlson/thanks-foxs-tucker-carlson-pro-trump-reddit-discovering-anti-abortion-extremism Thanks to Fox's Tucker Carlson, pro-Trump Reddit is discovering anti-abortion extremism]</ref>

Johnson has also made it a point to cash in on this story in other ways, such as making a film based on what she alleged happened, called [[Unplanned]]. Released in 2019, the film managed to be a box office success through making twenty-one million dollars despite a six-million dollar budget.<ref>[https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl436831745/ Unplanned] Box Office Mojo</ref> It was also the 108th highest grossing movie of that year,<ref>[https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/2019/ Domestic Box Office For 2019] Box Office Mojo</ref> for whatever that is worth.

==Other views==
During the [[2012 U.S. presidential election|2012 presidential election]], she endorsed [[Rick Santorum]] for President.<ref>[https://www.lifenews.com/2012/01/16/abby-johnson-endorses-republican-rick-santorum-for-president/ Abby Johnson Endorses Republican Rick Santorum for President]</ref> Johnson spoke at the 2020 [[Republican]] National Convention, and endorsed [[Donald Trump]] for his anti-abortion views.<ref>[https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/planned-parenthood-employee-abby-johnsons-anti-abortion-comments/story?id=72609833 Former Planned Parenthood employee Abby Johnson's anti-abortion comments under scrutiny after graphic RNC speech]</ref> In 2023, Johnson said that [[Christians]] should not support Republican Presidential candidate [[Vivek Ramaswamy]] because of his [[Hindu]] faith.<ref>[https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/god-will-not-be-mocked-abby-johnson-warns-christians-not-to-support-vivek-ramaswamy/ God Will Not Be Mocked: Abby Johnson Warns Christians Not to Support Vivek Ramaswamy]</ref>

Her political views, unsurprisingly, tend to be rather [[far-right]]. She has previously defended [[racial profiling]],<ref>[https://www.mediamatters.org/planned-parenthood/mainstream-coverage-republican-national-convention-shows-consequences-right-wing Mainstream coverage of the Republican National Convention shows the consequences of right-wing media’s anti-abortion misinformation]</ref> for example, and has argued that people should only be given one vote per household, with the husband getting the final say on who the family votes for.<ref>[https://www.wtol.com/article/news/nation-world/abby-johnson-household-voting-rnc/507-69010b4e-9d77-4eb6-8293-acb9cbd8e488 RNC speaker supported wives deferring to husbands on political decisions]</ref> She has also criticized [[Homosexuality|same-sex couples]] who use processes like IVF and surrogacy to have [[children]].<ref>[https://www.mediamatters.org/health-care/conservative-media-figures-are-using-homophobia-and-misogyny-attack-surrogacy-and-ivf Conservative media figures are using homophobia and misogyny to attack surrogacy and IVF]</ref>

Johnson has said that she's against [[capital punishment]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120620031214/http://www.abbyjohnson.org/2012/05/sometimes-my-heart-breaks/ Sometimes my heart breaks.]</ref>

==References==
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[[Category:Anti-abortion activists]]
[[Category:Antifeminism]]
[[Category:Christians]]
[[Category:Conservative deceit]]
[[Category:Homophobes]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Racists]]
[[Category:Right-wing activists]]
[[Category:Shysters]]
[[Category:Texas]]

Categories: Anti-abortion activists, Antifeminism, Christians, Conservative deceit, Homophobes, Living people, Racists, Right-wing activists, Shysters, Texas