Charlotte Isenberg Wanted an Abortion. Her Friends Had Other Ideas.

"Progressive” anti-abortion activists claim to be a feminist wing of the movement. But when one of their former compatriots tried to end her pregnancy, they went to extreme lengths to stop her.

- By REBECCA GRANT

On "clinic rescue" missions anti-abortion activists hand out pink roses tied to contact information for crisis pregnancy centers.

On the morning of June 26, 2024, Charlotte Isenberg woke up worried. The 20-year-old was pregnant and had an appointment for an ultrasound at a Planned Parenthood in Charlotte, North Carolina. She didn't dread the scan itself, a state requirement 72 hours before having a medication abortion. Instead, she was afraid of who might be waiting for her at the clinic.

After a 30-mile drive, Isenberg and her boyfriend pulled through the gate that protected the Planned Parenthood from prying eyes. It was as they backed into a parking space that Isenberg spotted her: a woman who'd traveled 400 miles from Washington, D.C. A once-friend whom Isenberg had not told the exact details of her appointment.

“Don't go through with it. You are so deeply loved....” “Your circumstance isn't permanent and you're STRONG AS HELL....” “You will be provided for and supported in any way you need....” “You will be a great mom to your baby!...” “I will adopt this baby. Please, sweetheart, please....”

The texts and voicemails had been relentless. Prominent antiabortion activists blowing up her phone, begging Isenberg to change her mind. Isenberg assumed they'd been tipped off by Kristin Turner, 22, the woman now standing outside the Planned Parenthood.

Isenberg considered going home. But if she did, there was a good chance she wouldn't get another appointment in time. After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, abortions in North Carolina are legal through 12 weeks of pregnancy with few exceptions afterward, and a medication abortion requires three in-person appointments. Isenberg got out of the car and walked into the clinic, avoiding Turner.