"Men just want to control us!"
On Abortion
By itself, this claim just assumes the worst of the opposing side. It also ignores the fact that there are women on the opposing side – women who might even be feminists also! It also presents as very paranoid, as I can assure you that you would be hard-pressed to find someone who takes an anti-abortion stance simply because they "hate women."
A more comprehensive construction of an abortion-supporters egalitarian point may be this: “A woman who is denied an abortion is required to sacrifice educational and work opportunities. Because men cannot become pregnant, they can pursue their professional goals freely. Therefore, abortion restrictions make women unequal with men.” Anthony McCarthy responds that the practice of abortion actually creates inequality between the sexes because it does not respect the experiences which are unique to women (such as pregnancy).
Some on the pro-abortion side will dismiss pregnancy as a harmful condition that reduces pregnant women to “incubators.” But true gender equality involves respect and support for what makes women different. Who is to say that to oppose abortion is to oppose women? Since when did gender equality require women to be allowed to murder their babies and defile motherhood? Abortion violates and devalues the natural life-nurturing power of women. There are those who would say that "women should not be reduced to motherhood" - which, as far as I'm concerned, is a completely disordered attitude toward motherhood.
Mothers are pillars of society. For a great many people, their mother is their most treasured person. Mothers are selfless and highly esteemed. Mothers, as homemakers, build families - and for many, family is what gives life meaning. Women who look down on motherhood have no sense of its true virtue, because the truth is that no woman can be reduced to motherhood, she can only be elevated to it. Authentic gender equality involves respect for what makes women different, including motherhood.
Some will automatically dismiss any male contribution to the debate, saying, “No uterus, no opinion!” But this just ignores the possibility of a woman holding the exact same view. It makes the additional assumption that a person cannot have an opinion on something that does not directly affect them - which becomes problematic when applied to a wide range of other issues (e.g., war, slavery, genocide). It also suggests that pregnancy is something a woman does to herself and that it is purely a woman’s issue. This, of course, is ridiculous, for there would be no pregnancy if not for the man’s contribution.
Additionally, abortion can negatively harm men. To make the claim that "men have no stake in abortion" is to blatantly disregard and invalidate their suffering. For men who know of their fatherhood and its demise, the feelings can burn intensely. Men are natural protectors, and so to be so helpless in the face of their child's fate can only cause emotional and psychological distress. Women face the majority of social pressures related to abortion - but at least society recognises that women are involved with abortion, which can open them to opportunities for compassion and healing. Society presents no such opportunity for men. Men have a real psychological and relational stake in the abortion debate.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQKZsfy_YdM&ab_channel=PintsWithAquinas Special thanks to this source featuring Stephanie Gray: Highly recommend!