After getting an abortion in college, Becca Rea-Tucker never thought she’d talk about it publicly.
“ I was carrying so much shame—unnecessary shame. I know that now, but I didn’t know that then,” she said.
Five years later, it became all she talked about. Rea-Tucker’s Instagram posts turned into abortion-rights advocacy billboards, as she shared bits of her own experience while helping to normalize the decision for millions of others.
Today, the legal and political landscape surrounding abortion looks dramatically different than it did when Rea-Tucker was in college. This month marks four years since a conservative majority US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, ending nearly 50 years of federal abortion protections and leaving access largely up to the states.
Rea-Tucker said that social media algorithms and capitulating politicians may make it seem like the fight for abortion rights has died down. But from her perspective, the movement is very much alive and well.
The Sweet Feminist
Long before the social trends of today, Rea-Tucker figured out that focusing on her passion for baking was a way in with viewers.
“Cooking, baking—women have always used those methods, those avenues as ways to get involved socially and organize, so to me it makes total sense,” she said.
Using the moniker @thesweetfeminist, she started by posting photos of perfectly decorated cakes with phrases like “Abortion. Anytime. Any reason.” or “I don’t regret my abortion.” With a swipe left, the images usually flashed to an abortion-related news headline. A pretty cake or beautifully glossed pie crust grabbed people’s attention; the boldness of the message then opened the door to a conversation.
Rea-Tucker eventually began collaborating with activists and community organizers to uplift messages around not only abortion access, but also civil rights issues. Moving from Washington, DC, to Austin presented a more restrictive abortion culture, but she appreciated the chance to do work in a region of the country that, she feels, is the heart of the reproductive movement.
Texas has some of the most restrictive and punitive abortion laws in the country. Abortion is illegal from conception, with no exceptions for rape or incest. Only a physician can decide if a pregnancy is threatening the life of the parent, and imminent threat situations are largely disputed and could still lead to the prosecution of the physician. Along with the ban, The Heart Beat Act allows private citizens to sue anyone who aids in an abortion after six weeks of pregnancy.
In 2022, Rea-Tucker released her first book, “Baking By Feel.” The cookbook categorizes recipes by emotions. You can find your current emotion and work through those feelings with a cardamom caramel poke cake or Rea-Tucker’s signature brownie recipe.
Books are a way for her values to live unattached to an unpredictable social media app. Her second book sounds diametrically different, but Rea-Tucker insisted it’s not.
The Abortion Companion
Rea-Tucker described growing up in Kansas in a “ kind of Catholic, kind of Episcopal” family. High school her would have said “ Oh, yeah, abortion is fine, but I personally would never have one.” But after years of investigating what she actually believes and learning about the many different scenarios that can lead a person choosing to have an abortion, she doesn’t see that as a rational point of view anymore.
”It’s important to realize that you just never know what you would do unless you were in the situation,” she said.
While she’s not religious today, her time entwined in religious communities helps her speak to the relationship between faith and abortion.
“It’s a misconception that people of faith don’t have abortions or don’t support people who have abortions,” she said. “That’s one of my favorite things to talk about, is that actually you do deserve support from your religious community, your faith community, and that there are people here ready to do that for you.”
A lack of societal support inspired her to write her second book, “The Abortion Companion,” a collection of affirmations, exercises, words of wisdom, and emotional resources to aid an abortion journey. Faith leaders have asked her for help on how to better support congregants pre- and post-abortion. The book is meant to encourage those who have terminated their pregnancy, but it’s also useful for people looking to be better allies.
“The Abortion Companion” and “Baking By Feel” are seemingly very different books, but Rea-Tucker says they’re both about trusting yourself and are designed to support difficult experiences.
A recipe for the future
While Rea-Tucker doesn’t have any more books planned for the near future, she is locked into the upcoming midterm elections, when half of the US will elect key congressional leaders that could change which political party controls Congress. She’s rooting for pro-abortion candidates who won’t compromise or try to play to the middle ground when discussing the big A.
“ We know that doesn’t work,” she said. “We know that abortion access is popular.”
Recent Gallup polls showed that about 80% of adults in the US believe abortion should be legal in at least some circumstances.
“People want to be able to access the care that they need,” she continued. “They want other people to be able to access the care they need. And if we are compromising, we’re leaving someone behind, and that shouldn’t be acceptable.”
Instead of hiding behind platitudes like “women’s health” or “reproductive rights,” Rea-Tucker thinks using the word “abortion” can be a powerful move for politicians, as well as everyday people.
“ I believe that we can’t really get rid of the laws without changing the culture and the language,” she said. Working to get rid of stigma is so much of the battle for activists like Rea-Tucker.
At the end of 2023, the woman who had spent years advocating for people’s right to choose if and when they had children made a decision of her own: she chose to become a parent. Rea-Tucker and her husband welcomed a daughter and, like many expecting parents, spent months planning for the pregnancy and birth. But unlike many families, one of those conversations with her midwife centered on what they’d do if abortion care became medically necessary. If complications arose, they agreed they’d drive the nine hours to New Mexico—but in an emergency, they’d never make it.
“ That’s something that I think people really need to understand, here and everywhere. Abortion bans and restrictions put all pregnant people at risk. It’s not just if you intend to end the pregnancy,” she said.
Raising her daughter has made Rea-Tucker even more motivated to continue pro-abortion work. Her toddler joined her during “The Abortion Companion” book tour, and while she may be too little to understand the gravity of her mother’s work now, Rea-Tucker hopes it will shape their relationship later.
“She will always know that she is here because I had an abortion. She will always know that I will support her no matter what decisions she decides to make about her own body,” she said. “Whatever she wants for herself is what I want for her.”
