Joking about abortion: New York show tackles divisive US subject

America is bitterly divided over abortion. But on stage in New York, comedian Alison Leiby tries to lift taboos surrounding the right by making people laugh at her own experience of ending a pregnancy.

In "Oh God, A Show About Abortion," the 38-year-old takes up the challenge of making light of a subject that can be very delicate and difficult for many.

With a large dose of self-mockery, Leiby portrays herself as a New York anti-heroine, who has no dreams of motherhood and considers herself incapable of managing her finances and fails to keep her cactus alive.

But above all, Leiby downplays the medical procedure and its aftermath, recounting a banal Saturday in New York that did not leave her feeling discomfort or guilt.

"I thought that I just had not seen a lot of depictions or stories in pop culture or in a documentary or in interviews. I never hear people talk about the kind of abortion I had," Leiby told AFP, describing her experience as "not traumatic."

"This kind of abortion is incredibly common, at least in places where abortion is accessible. So I thought that maybe it would be worth telling that story to kind of destigmatize how afraid many are."

Leiby says she is after laughs but also wants the show to be "an easy way to start talking about a difficult thing for people."
She admits that she is aware of her privilege as a white, heterosexual women who lives in a state where abortion is legal.

"A lot of other people don't have that kind of safety and don't have that kind of access," Leiby said.

The hour-long show, which has been running since April, was given impetus on the evening of May 2 when a leaked draft decision showed that the Supreme Court was planning to overturn Roe v. Wade, ending 50...