Where do we go from here?
thoughts & a small action plan to protect women's reproductive rights
Today isn’t about clothes. My bank account cannot sustain the budget required to shop my way out of the full-body fury that I have been experiencing since the news broke last night about the leaked draft majority opinion suggesting the Supreme Court will roll back abortion rights.
What a way to roll into Mother’s Day weekend.
Any news or discussion about a woman's right to choose always makes me think about Pete Buttigeig and his comments to Chris Wallace on the topic of women's health and abortion at a 2019 Fox News Town Hall. Wallace was asking Pete about his support for "late-term abortions," and Pete said,
"I think the dialogue has gotten so caught up on where you draw the line, that we've gotten away from the fundamental question of who gets to draw the line...And I trust women to draw the line when it's their own health."
And that's pretty much what this all comes down to - the removal of the right of women to make decisions about our own bodies and our own health. The fact that this is coming on the heels of 2+ years of having to hear/see/watch large groups of people refuse to wear masks, social distance, and take other basic precautionary measures to control the spread of a communicable virus that killed millions of Americans because it was their choice and because they questioned "the science" and other medical experts is not lost here.
The debate about when life begins doesn't matter because everyone can find "experts" out there who will defend any viewpoint about viability with so-called "facts." But at the end of the day, those things don't really matter because this decision is about taking away a woman's autonomy, autonomy that somehow has to be defended every single day.
At the end of the day, this is about control.
There is no effort underway or even interest to improve our social systems, provide free or low-cost healthcare (the irony that you could go into crippling debt from medical bills incurred from a pregnancy you are forced to have is enough to make my head explode), improve childcare options, improve access to contraceptive care, improve quality and accessibility of sex education, etc., etc., etc.
There is no common sense critical thinking that helps to understand the rationale behind the absolute need for pro-life groups to ensure that their private beliefs should be publicly enforced on other people. Anyone can privately oppose abortions - it's the same as how anyone privately chooses to oppose anything. The way that so many people seem to interpret opposing or different beliefs or values as individual assaults on their own practices is scary. I am sure there is a lot I could do to better understand how we find ourselves in a country where it’s not enough to have the freedom to do the things that I believe to be right, I need to make sure that everyone else is doing those same right things (Honestly deeply connected to why I don’t practice religion, but a topic for another day).
But regardless of how we got here, telling people what they can and cannot do with their own bodies is not about opposing something, it is about a need to have control over others, and it is a perverse execution of power.
There are some incredible pieces that have been published over the last 24 hours — all of which are more carefully researched and more artfully composed than my own — and they are all worth reading! But, I couldn’t not do anything today. I started this newsletter in part because I would find myself composing thoughts, sentences, and paragraphs in my head as lived certain experiences, saw certain things, read certain pieces, or reacted to just about anything that I came across in my life. Instead of a shopping round-up, I will link to some of the best resources I have come across to learn more.
In addition to education, action is key. This fight is not over. Firstly, the opinion is not final and it could change (although it seems that its heart is unlikely to change). Second, the fight to protect reproductive freedoms and a woman’s right to privacy does not end here. There are so many people and groups working tirelessly to fight for access to the full spectrum of reproductive healthcare and they are ready and in need of our support.
So, what do we do now?
CALL 202.224.3121 to be connected to your senator. 50 senators could preempt this decision by ending the filibuster and enacting the Women’s Health Protection Act. It already passed in the house and would codify Roe into law.
DONATE to abortion funds. Abortion funds are grassroots organizations that help finance abortion care for those facing an unintended pregnancy. There are many and I have some suggestions below.
Reproductive Equity Now (works to make equitable access to the full spectrum of reproductive health care a reality for all people regardless of their race, ethnicity, income, zip code, gender, age, immigration status, ability, sexual orientation, or religion) identified a number of Abortion funds in Massachusetts.
The Jane Fund of Central MA ; @JaneFundMA ; https://secure.actblue.com/donate/janefundma…
Abortion Rights Fund of Western MA ; @ARFWM ; https://mightycause.com/organization/Arfwm…
Eastern Massachusetts Abortion Fund ; @EMA_Fund ; https://theemafund.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/theemafund/donation.jsp
The National Network of Abortion Funds makes it possible to split your gift between more than 80 abortion funds, and you can even customize the funds and amounts you give to see exactly where your dollars are going.
MAKE A VOTING PLAN This fight does and will continue to play out at the local level. Your local and state legislators have a profound impact on our lives, and its important to ensure your voice is heard in all elections.
LEARN MORE
@Emilyinyourphone - Always an excellent resource for political analysis, especially this topic
The Cut’s guide to donating to an abortion fund
NYTimes OpEd - “Not all Religious People Oppose Abortion” - I learned a lot from this!