Viral "Abortion Cake" On TikTok Reveals How Far Our Society Has Fallen From "Safe, Legal, And Rare"

TikTok has become the place where many people go to share moments of their personal life. They post their beauty routine, workout regiment, home decor, and best fashion moments. But more women are getting candid about certain topics like abortion. Last year, a TikToker openly mourned her abortion and said she hates herself every day for the decision she made.

"Sucks because in the moment I felt like I was doing the right thing... I'm not a child, I'm an adult... I had all the means in the world to do it on my own," she said.

Many people flooded her comment section to show support and say that they too have experienced much regret surrounding their abortion, even if it was from 20 years ago. But a growing trend in the opposite direction shows many women openly celebrating their abortion online, as if it's something to laugh about. TikToker @kelliamirah posted a video of herself buying an "abortion cake" for her friend after she chose to abort her unborn baby. It went so viral that it was later shared on Twitter and it received thousands of retweets and shares. Her video is further proof that we are a long way away from the "safe, legal, and rare" days.

Viral "Abortion Cake" TikTok Receives Backlash

Entitled, "Let's get an abortion cake for my friend," @kelliamirah's video compilation showed her going shopping to create a brightly colored sheet cake for her friend. She is seen shopping at Cake Art for some edible image printing, and the image is the picture of a black mother tossing her infant into a basketball hoop that represents a trash can. The woman is smiling in glee as her arms are extended. The custom cake from Publix that @kelliamirah bought had a personalized message written out in icing: "Congrats! It's A Borted!" It's surrounded by pink icing on the edge, the background is blue, and the message is written out in yellow.

"I decided to cut out the images," she wrote on the video. "Everybody's so creative."

She added some extra designs and candles, and they enjoyed the cake together while cheering with alcohol. On Twitter, she first shared a picture of the cake with the caption "Hot Girl Summer in full effect." Thousands of comments and quote tweets flooded in, the majority of them expressing disgust, sadness, and anger over how flippantly some women treat human life. The backlash was so intense that @kelliamirah made all of her accounts private so nobody new could view her content and offer their thoughts on her videos.

Many people who oppose abortion being legal and made so accessible to women pointed out that the left has insisted for a long time that abortion is a medical decision that women don't take lightly. They have always claimed it's not being celebrated. And yet we have women on TikTok who are publicly and enthusiastically throwing parties to praise a friend who has just ended the life of her own child. It's a wonderful reminder of how far the political spectrum has shifted. Not long ago, liberals described abortion as a procedure that was "safe, legal, and rare". Now we have women online making celebratory cakes of women throwing their infant in the garbage.

Whatever Happened to "Safe, Legal, and Rare"?

The phrase "safe, legal, and rare" concerning abortion policy first gained prominence in Democratic politics during Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign. Intended to appeal to those in favor of abortion rights but morally conflicted, the phrase strived to balance the debate. Hillary Clinton adopted the same language in her 2008 campaign.

Over time, some advocates began challenging the "rare" component, arguing it stigmatizes those seeking abortions. Destiny Lopez, co-director of the All* Above All Action Fund, an organization fighting for expanded abortion access, declared that focusing on rarity "negates all the work done to make this about the ability to decide what’s best for your body, for your family, for your community."

The Democratic stance evolved, becoming more sympathetic to these views. By 2016, Hillary Clinton amended her message, advocating for abortion to be "safe and legal," reflecting a broader shift in the party toward greater support of abortion rights. This evolution was evident in the 2016 primaries, with Clinton and Bernie Sanders both calling for the repeal of the Hyde Amendment, which restricts federal funding for most abortions.

However, the phrase "safe, legal, and rare" still resonates with some, as evidenced by Tulsi Gabbard's remarks at the 2019 Democratic presidential debate. Her comment sparked discussion, reminding us not only of the transformation in Democratic stances but also of the continuing divisions. Democratic politicians have been moving away from the "safe, legal, and rare" framework since 2012. This change is especially reflected in the Democratic platform, with the word "rare" being removed in 2012 and Clinton abandoning it entirely in her 2016 campaign.

The tremendous political shift we've seen over the last decade is why so many voters feel politically homeless. Many classically liberal individuals feel like they don't even recognize politicians and activists on the left and the values they speak of. That's because what used to be liberal 10-20 years ago would either be considered moderate or maybe even conservative today.

Even if the goal of abortion was to be "safe, legal, and rare," that doesn't change the fact that abortion is an anti-woman issue that has nothing to do with bodily autonomy. When we tell women that ending the life of their unborn child is the key to success and happiness, we gravely insult them. This message, touted by figures such as Michelle Williams and Busy Phillips, undermines women's potential for success while balancing motherhood. Women should not feel compelled to sacrifice their child to achieve happiness or fulfillment, and anyone suggesting otherwise lacks genuine concern for women's wellbeing.

Let's reconsider the notion of bodily autonomy in the context of abortion. Generally, the concept upholds an individual's right to self-governance over their body without external influence or coercion. However, this argument loses ground when your exercise of bodily autonomy inflicts harm or death on another human being. Consider a scenario in which a man argues for his right to bodily autonomy to justify rape — that's his body, his choice, right? Obviously not. The same applies to abortion; the choice ceases to be merely about the woman's body when it directly impacts another human life.

Abortion doesn't just harm the unborn; it also wreaks havoc on women's mental and physical health. A study in California showed that post-abortion, women were 160% more likely to be hospitalized for psychiatric treatment within 90 days than those who gave birth. Nervous disorders, regret, and prescribed psychotropic medication were common aftermaths of an abortion. Physically, post-abortion complications include infection, excessive bleeding, embolism, uterine perforation, anesthesia complications, convulsions, hemorrhage, cervical injury, and endotoxic shock.

Abortion is not about bodily autonomy; it's about ignoring the realities of the procedure and its ramifications for women and their unborn children. Anyone who loves women and children (and families) must challenge these narratives, demanding respect for all women and their inherent potential to both mother and succeed in their chosen fields.