During Your Abortion Access House Party
Below is a suggested agenda for your house party. This agenda is geared toward fostering a meaningful discussion on abortion access and encouraging guests to commit to showing up in support of abortion access.
The agenda is set for 60 minutes, but you can make the event longer if you think your guests would be open to that. For an extended agenda, it’s recommended to add time to the discussion section.
Don’t forget to take pictures or screenshots during the event! But before you do, please get guests’ consent to be in any photos. With everyone’s permission, we encourage you to post them on your social channels and tag Planned Parenthood as well as send them to [email protected]!
10 minutes: Welcome
This is time for your guests to arrive, grab food, and chit chat with one another.
5 mins: Set the Tone
- Gather the group together and thank everyone for coming to talk about abortion rights.
- Review the community agreements below and see if the group has any questions.
- We want to create a community that is respectful and safe! To help, here are a few agreements that all attendees should agree to follow:
- The Platinum Rule: Treat people how they ask to be treated.
- Assume best intentions, but acknowledge the impact of words and actions.
- Las Vegas rules: What’s said here, stays here. What’s learned here, leaves here.
- One mic: When someone is speaking, don’t interrupt them!
- We want to create a community that is respectful and safe! To help, here are a few agreements that all attendees should agree to follow:
5 mins: Set the Purpose
Tell everyone about why the fight for reproductive rights is personal to you by:
- sharing your own abortion story,
- sharing about a time you helped a loved one get an abortion, or
- sharing how you joined the reproductive rights movement.
See the Story of Self worksheet to develop and write your story.
Share your research on what abortion rights and access looks like in your state. See the prep page for tips on research.
30 mins: Open Discussion
Shift to an open discussion by asking the group what they know about abortion rights and access.
Let the discussion flow naturally and ask probing questions to continue the conversation as needed:
- When did you first care about abortion access?
- How did you feel when you heard that the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade?
- How comfortable to you feel about talking about abortion? Why do you think it is challenging for some people?
- What is your experience with abortion? Have you had one or do you know someone who has? How has that shaped your activism?
- How has your view of abortion changed over time?
- What are your fears about the loss of abortion access in [STATE]?
10 mins: Call to Action!
Make your call to action as the discussion winds down but before the event ends.
Thank everyone for coming and engaging in a honest and deep conversation about abortion, but remind them, as they know, the work can’t stop once the party ends. Ask them to:
- Commit to turn out in support of abortion at a future event.
- Text “ACCESS” to 22422 to join the movement to defend abortion rights for everyone.
- Send an invite to a future event to three friends who aren’t in the room. Have your group fill out this worksheet to create a list of people to reach out to.
Give them a few minutes to complete the action before thanking them and ending the house party.
For more information:
This teach-in toolkit has additional resources and guidance for planning an event, including a sample agenda and guidance on accessibility.
Hosting a teach-in is similar to hosting an abortion access house party.