John,

Today is the one-year anniversary of the Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade.

One year since trigger laws across the country went into effect, banning abortion. One year since the Supreme Court chose politics over precedent, dismantling the right to choose and stating that court cases establishing the right to privacy and bodily autonomy are next.

We can never forget the claim Justice Clarence Thomas made in his concurring opinion, that because the right to choose wasn’t expressly mentioned in the Constitution, it isn’t a right at all. And he didn’t stop there:

“In future cases, we should reconsider all of this Court’s substantive due process precedents, including Griswold, Lawrence, and Obergefell.”

He sent the signal: the Supreme Court should reconsider cases that would dismantle LGBTQ+ equality as we know it. And make no mistake – those cases are coming.

But despite the threats from Justice Thomas and the wave of legislation aimed at dismantling bodily autonomy that has swept our country, Victory Fund is still fighting back. In 2022, LGBTQ+ candidates broke records on the campaign trail – and we saw a historic number of wins on election night.

Today, one year after the devastating news, we’re still fighting to elect pro-choice LGBTQ+ leaders who will defend our rights. If you’re committed to defeating these bigots and preserving equality, pitch in here.

The fight to reestablish Roe is the fight to preserve bodily autonomy. The politicians dismantling reproductive freedom are often the same ones trying to rollback gender-affirming healthcare or ban drag shows. It’s the same bigoted playbook, written to limit the personal choices of those who don’t love the way they love or look the way they look.

They write their laws as if these personal decisions are entirely up to them. They write them as if they can control people’s bodies and medical decisions. They write them as if their laws don’t have a devastating impact on people who can get pregnant, on LGBTQ+ people, as if LGBTQ+ kids won’t feel the stigma. They write them without consideration or care.

Today, we must reflect on what was lost one year ago and recommit ourselves to the fight for reproductive justice. We need leaders who will take action to keep anti-equality bigots OUT of our bedrooms and stop the assault on LGBTQ+ rights. Pitch in to help LGBTQ+ Victory Fund elect more strong LGBTQ+ champions of equality and reproductive rights!

Onward,

Mayor Annise Parker
Pronouns: she|her|hers
President & CEO, LGBTQ+ Victory Fund