Hi there,

I published an op-ed in the Richmond Times-Dispatch to share my story and reasoning behind starting Roe Your Vote Virginia, and, with less than 3 weeks until Election Day, I wanted to share it with you:

When I was 26, I worked as a waitress in my hometown of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. I was in a relationship with an old friend from high school when I unexpectedly got pregnant. I could see my whole life stretching out in front of me in two directions: I could stay in my hometown, keep working in the restaurant and raise a kid near my parents; or I could have an abortion, go back to school and choose a new life for myself.

If I’m being honest, having an abortion was the toughest decision I had ever made. But I knew without a doubt that it was the right choice for me. Six months later, I moved to Virginia to finish earning my college degree.

In the years since, I’ve made it my mission to protect the rights of women like me who are faced with their own difficult healthcare decisions — from fighting for the passage of the Affordable Care Act to working on behalf of Planned Parenthood to helping to launch a campaign in support of paid family and medical leave in Virginia. All of this was possible because of my ability to choose my own path two decades earlier.

And I know I am not alone. In fact, recent World Health Organization data estimates that 25% of women will have an abortion by the end of their childbearing years.

However, if Virginia Republicans gain control of both legislative chambers in the General Assembly, they will ban abortion. Period. We know this because they’ve said it out loud over and over again.

In less than 3 weeks, we have the best opportunity in a generation to build a pro-abortion rights majority in Virginia. Help us protect abortion rights by donating $25 now → DONATE NOW

While polling regularly indicates that Virginia voters overwhelmingly support keeping or even loosening our statewide abortion laws, no election result is guaranteed. I would encourage anyone who supports reproductive freedom to fight right now and ensure all Virginians have the option to do what I did 20 years ago: make the choice that’s right for them, take control of their own destiny and rewrite the next act of their story.

Together,

Tara Gibson
Executive Director
Roe Your Vote Virginia

P.S. You can read my full story here.