Hi John,

Last Monday at the gynecologist’s office, the back of my sundress ripped ✨completely✨ open.

I didn’t notice anything (aside from a relieving breeze), until the receptionist pulled me aside with a humble offering of salvation:

three miniature paper clips.

But even with my pinned-together mortification, I was incredibly privileged to be able to access reproductive health care. Which is being stripped away from millions of people always—but dear God (and whoever God’s gynecologist is), especially this month.

Take a Shot Every Time Judge Kacsmaryk Attacks Abortion!

Much like athlete’s foot, Judge Kacsmaryk has become a chronic problem.

He’s the man who attempted to block access to mifepristone—one part of a two-part medication abortion process—last spring. In April, the Supreme Court temporarily halted his decision. But the key word here is temporarily.

The case has once again been making its way through the lower courts, and two weeks ago, the Fifth Circuit ruled to reinstate restrictions on mifepristone from 2011, including requiring you to be in person to access the drug and significantly decreasing the limit on when you can use the drug from 10 weeks to seven weeks into a pregnancy.

Thankfully, these restrictions won’t go into effect unless the Supreme Court reviews the case and agrees. Meaning right now, access to mifepristone remains the same.

As I’m writing this, however, Judge Kacsmaryk is presiding over another case—where he could potentially cause Planned Parenthood to shut down nationwide.

And he may be the least of our (fungal) problems:

Misogynists Belong in the Kitchen—Not Our Courts

In the Barbie movie, we got an all-women Supreme Court.

In South Carolina, we have one made up entirely of men.

Last Wednesday, South Carolina’s Supreme Court—the only all-male Supreme Court in the country—upheld the state’s abortion ban, making most procedures after six weeks illegal.

What this ruling makes clear is that we need judges who are committed to equal rights and who understand the impact of laws on our ability to make decisions about our bodies—including when and whether to have a child.

Must-Do's:

• In the wake of the devastating South Carolina ban, donate to the state’s local abortion fund.
• Behind closed doors, Congress is currently negotiating the National Defense Authorization Act—and extremists are trying to add a provision to limit abortion access. Tell our lawmakers they must fight for the reproductive rights of military families.
• At the end of September, key child care funding that has kept women and families afloat during the pandemic is set to expire. Tell Congress to stabilize child care now.

Must Reads:

August is Leo season.

To aptly channel that star sign, I must ooze confidence like knee-pit sweat—and brag about my colleagues’ recent (and amazing) publications:

• Survivors Speaking Out: A toolkit to help survivors understand their rights, risks, and options when deciding whether to speak out and, if so, how to do it as safely as possible.
• Hard Work Is Not Enough: A report that examines the experiences of women who work in our country’s 40 lowest-paying jobs.

Thank You for Being Here

This past Saturday was the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington—when Dr. King spoke the historic words: “I have a dream.”

“I know so many of us look around at the state of the country and are worried and scared and maybe sad.

So, I want to leave you today with what has brought me such great joy. It is knowing that the fights today are generational. That I can look at my young kids and the elders in my family and know we are driving in the same direction. That you are all here today."

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for being here—for reading this newsletter, and for supporting our work. It’s what keeps me going (even amid recurrent and fungal misogyny).

Feminist Moment of Joy

This month, my moment of joy is a (Leo-inspired) brag.

!!! Because I don’t have to go back to school !!!

These days, all that September brings is my annual rewatch of Gilmore Girls—and not that “Gemma that’s gross please stop chewing on your hair” anxiety.

I was unfortunately a (hair-chewing) perfectionist throughout school, measuring my worth by my grades. But thanks to ✨therapy✨, I have settled into a person who accepts herself—despite the fact that, sometimes, I quite literally come apart at the seams.

So, this is your autumnal reminder that you’re going to be okay. In other words, your clothing could break at any moment, but you’ll always be able to paper-clip yourself back together.

Gemma Simoes Decarvalho
she/her/hers
Writer and Editor
National Women’s Law Center