Dear John,
Texas extremist abortion laws were again in the news this week, as the state joined Alabama as the latest to consider restrictions on IVF. The state’s Supreme Court is considering taking up a case concerning whether a frozen embryo can be legally defined as a person.
The case emerged from a divorce battle between a couple, who had a preexisting legal agreement that the husband would retain any remaining frozen embryos in the event of a divorce. However, the wife is now arguing that under Texas’s new abortion laws, the embryos must be treated as “unborn children,” and the dispute must be settled through the child custody process.
According to the Texas Tribune, “A trial court and appeals court have upheld the contract, citing long-standing legal precedent that embryos are quasi-property that can be governed by a contract.” But with extremist justices dominating the Texas court, all this could change, and as in the Alabama case, has the potential for devastating consequences not just for IVF, but for contraception and other forms of reproductive health care. We will keep you updated as more news emerges.
Abortion rights aren’t just at stake in the cases before the Supreme Court and state courts like Texas, but loom large in the upcoming elections this fall in the choice of candidates for state supreme courts, state legislatures, Congress and the presidency. As many as six or seven states will have measures on the ballot to place abortion rights in their state constitutions. All across the country, polls continue to show that abortion rights and women’s rights remain top issues for many voters, especially women voters.
On Tuesday night, at its annual Global Women's Rights Awards and Gala, the Feminist Majority Foundation (publisher of Ms.) honored individuals who have contributed greatly to advancing the rights of women and girls and to increasing awareness of the injustices women face on account of their gender. The theme of the evening was “Vote as if Your Life Depends on It,” amplifying key issues at stake in the election, and connecting the fight for democracy and women’s rights in the U.S. with the fight for women’s human rights globally.
Awards were presented to Dr. Austin Dennard, a courageous Texas doctor whose own health and life were on the line from a medically compromised pregnancy, and who is fighting to get abortion restored as a fundamental right in Texas and nationwide; filmmaker Sahra Mani, whose forthcoming film, “Bread & Roses,” documents the horror of Afghan women’s lives under the Taliban’s gender apartheid regime in Afghanistan, while also celebrating the courage of the women who are fighting back and demanding their basic human rights be restored; and, former Congressmember Carolyn Maloney, for her leadership in the drive to finally secure the Equal Rights Amendment in the Constitution.
In the face of state bans and hostile court decisions, the Equal Rights Amendment provides a viable—and increasingly necessary—pathway to ensure abortion rights. The work of advocates like Maloney is vital when it comes to securing women’s rights—and it’s essential for defending our democracy.
For equality,
