When 19-year-old Jordan Benewiat posted a TikTok on June 24 inviting women to “camp” with her, it got 45,600 views and an outpouring of positive responses. Benewiat, who recently moved from Kansas to her sister’s home in Medford, Ore., said the invitation, intended for women in states with abortion bans, was genuine: “I totally stand behind that. I’ve talked to my sister about it,” she said. “Obviously, we’d have to make sure it’s safe first, talk to the person on the phone.”
Benewiat used “camping” as a code word for abortion, joining a social media trend that exploded that day in June when the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade. Benewiat opted for the coded language because she was worried TikTok would remove or downrank her videos. “That terminology helps make sure that if we extend help to people, the video stays up in public and is available for them to find,” she said. Benewiat said she’s been contacted by one woman from Arizona so far.