Bristol Women's Health is targeted by harassers every week. Their goal is to terrorize and threaten, though they would describe it as “Christian love”. Some are local, others travel from states away. They yell awful things at patients, take their pictures with high powered cameras, write down license plate numbers, and often trespass on neighboring property to get closer to people as they get out of their cars. These zealots are legally allowed to stand directly at the edges of the clinic driveway, on clinic property, because it has been deemed a public right-of-way by the local police, even though there is a sidewalk directly across the street. When people coming into the clinic would not stop to talk to protestors, several of them started dressing up like escorts to trick people into stopping. This is why real clinic escorts are so important.
SLAAP coordinates the escort program at Bristol Women’s Health. These amazing volunteers ensure that patients and their companions are not impeded when entering the clinic or harassed by protesters, and that their privacy is shielded as much as possible. In snow, rain, and blazing hot temperatures, clinic escorts are there to make sure people who have often traveled long distances know that they are supported in their decision, and that they don’t have to face protestors alone. SLAAP provides items like umbrellas, hand warmers, and bottles of water to help escorts stay comfortable when doing this important, but frequently challenging work.
If you are interested in volunteering to be a clinic escort in Bristol please submit this form.
You can buy items for escorts and other SLAAP programs on our Amazon Wishlist.