It's been four years since I stepped into my role as president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Four years of fighting to protect access to health care. Four years of listening to patients and working with providers to ensure folks can get the care they need. Four years of building this movement alongside you and so many others, of struggle and solidarity, of hope and heartbreak.
I wanted to take this occasion to thank you for your commitment to sexual and reproductive health and rights, and for putting your trust in Planned Parenthood.
We have seen enormous changes over the past four years. Of course, the most profound change for our movement came when the Supreme Court majority trampled five decades of precedent and eliminated the constitutional right to abortion.
The overturning of Roe v. Wade didn't come out of nowhere. It was the result of years of bans, political organizing, gerrymandering, and lawsuits. A long-term, concerted effort to stack the courts and weaponize the judiciary ended a constitutional right that people had depended on for generations.
But it didn't change this reality: the majority of people still support abortion. They know what you and I know -- that politicians have no business in the exam room, and that we are all better off when people are free to make the health care decisions that are right for them.
That's why this movement has continued to grow despite powerful judges and lawmakers standing between patients and the care they deserve. As the movement has grown in size and power, I am proud that it has also become more inclusive.
More and more people understand now that attacks on health care access are consistently targeted at people of color and those with lower incomes. The fights for racial justice, voting rights, and reproductive rights are deeply intertwined. Now more than ever, people see that bodily autonomy can only be achieved with access to essential services, like birth control, abortion, and gender-affirming care.
It is the diversity and growing strength of this movement that gives me hope. We have seen Planned Parenthood supporters like you come together to protect access to abortion in state houses and at the ballot box. We have rallied and marched, held protests and vigils, and supported one another through an incredibly challenging time.
Your right to control your body and your ability to get the care you need shouldn't depend on your ZIP code. Yet right now, attacks on care and barriers to access vary drastically from state to state. At the same time, it's local communities organizing and mobilizing to defend their health and rights that will make the biggest impact. That's why Planned Parenthood has decided to shift more funding and other resources to local affiliates on the front lines of this work.
The future we are fighting for is one where freedom doesn't ebb and flow based on who sits on the court, who is in the White House, or who is elected to the statehouse. Having the right and access to safe and legal abortion should be a reality for everyone, no matter where they live, how much money they make, or who they are.
To make reproductive freedom real, it will take each one of us doing our part. Thank you for your ongoing commitment and for everything you do to support Planned Parenthood. It is an honor to lead this organization, and to be a part of this work with you.
Sincerely,
Alexis McGill Johnson, President & CEO
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
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