OnThe Real Housewives of New York City, it seems like no topic is off-limits.
And yet, there was one thing Erin Lichy never thought shed share.
Its a really hard topic, she tellsGlamourglobal editorial director Samantha Barry.
It was so terrifying to me.
She searched online for what to do and discovered Planned Parenthood was an option.
And so, My boyfriend at the time came up, and I had an abortion.
Even saying those words out loud now, she says, is hard.
It makes me emotional.
Still, Lichy found the experience so traumatizing that she never spoke to him again.
I couldnt, she says.
Something broke inside me, and I just didnt even want to have any connection to it.
She also didnt tell a soul about what happened until a year later, when she told her mother.
The most beautiful part about it was that she said, It happened to me too, Lichy says.
It felt like women supporting women.
Like, even though shes my mom she wanted me to know…. Everybody has a story.
My dad is a very open-minded person, but its still scary, she says.
In a follow-up conversation withGlamour,Lichy says she eventually shared her story with him before his death.
It shows how incredibly supportive he was and how he was such an open-minded man.
I love him so much.
I will never be able to put into words how much.
My father was my rock, my backbone, my support, my security, she continues.
He was the unifier, our confidant, therapist, our joy, and our laughter.
Growing up, I just knew he was behind me at all times with fierce loyalty and love.
There will be a hole in my heart forever.
After thefall ofRoe v. Wade, Lichy knew she needed to speak out.
Forget about choice for women like mebut what about someone whos suffering or has a high-risk pregnancy?
It goes so far beyond just my experience, and its scary.
Its scary to be a woman.
If such a fundamental right could be stripped from us, what else can?
To Erin Lichy, this isnt a political issue.
Its a health care issue.
It shouldnt be a flippant decision.
Its a precious thing.
Its a tough, tough decision….
I think its really difficult for women, and maybe not everybody talks about that.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
