A lesbian pioneer of American abortion rights has died aged 69
A leading plaintiff in the landmark Roe v Wade case has died at 69.
Norma McCorvey, who used the pseudonym Jane Roe, helped bring abortion rights to women across America in the case that legalised the procedure.
McCorvey identified as a lesbian but had relationships with men and women.
She led the case in the Supreme court after she fell pregnant in 1970 and was financially unstable.
Abortions were illegal, and McCorvey did not want to keep the pregnancy so she took her case to court.
A historic ruling of 7-2 set precedent for the future of abortion and women’s rights.
After the ruling, McCorvey gave birth and put the child up for adoption.
She then became an advocate for abortion rights and started working in clinics.
However, the politics of the movement made her turn on the work she had done.
“I’ve been shunned by quite a few leaders of the pro-choice movement,” she said about leaving the cause.
Despite being a lead in the case, McCorvey became a born-again Christian and turned on her work for women’s rights and became a pro-life campaigner.
Eventually she became the “poster girl” for the cause and her conversion was used by Christians to prop up their movement.
However, some in the pro-life group shunned her for her homosexuality which they deemed immoral.
“Upon knowing God, I realized that my case, which legalized abortion under man, was the biggest mistake of my life,” she said.
Before passing, McCorvey was in a 35-year-long relationship with Connie Gonzalez but they separated.
