Hi john,

Happy Friday, folks! As always, Abortion Access Front is here to bring you the download of the latest and (too often) so-damn-far-from the greatest news happening in the reprosphere every week.

We’re hitting your inbox a little bit early this week as we prepare to spend the week in Chicago at the Democratic National Convention! Follow along on our socials for all of the absurdity, singing, hilarity, and general hijinks and shenanigans AAF was made for! After all, we have to be able to laugh, right?

With stories like these happening everywhere, we need something to quell the rage! This week is an entire rage barf dedicated to FAKE CLINICS! 

If you don’t know about fake clinics, we deeply apologize for ruining your bliss, but we have to tell you allllll about these anti-abortion, religious-based centers designed to mislead pregnant people looking for abortion care. Often located purposely near actual abortion clinics, with names and websites that hide the fact they don’t offer or refer out for abortions, fake clinics outnumber real clinics four-to-one!

If it walks like an abortion clinic, talks like an abortion clinic, but isn’t bound by HIPAA because they rarely have legit medical staff? It’s actually a fake clinic! 

And they have a lot of money! 
Excuse the fuck out of us, but according to a report by Equity Forward, fake clinics have received nearly ONE BILLION DOLLARS OF TAXPAYER MONEY since 1995! Nearly half a billion of that has been allocated since the fall of Dobbs in 2022 alone- IN JUST TWO YEARS. Sure, we’re all totally fine with our taxes being used to lie, and harass pregnant people seeking abortion care. Totally cool with it.

And unsurprisingly, in our post-Dobbs hellscape, states with the worst abortion bans and restrictions are leading the charge in funding fake clinics. Texas has allocated an infuriating $140 MILLION to fake clinics, while abortion and practical funds across the country are being crushed under the weight of serving the actual needs of abortion seekers leaving these states! This is truly the worst timeline.

And the shits just keep on coming, because extremist politicians DGAF how these scammers spend our tax dollars- they just keep funding them 
We would love to believe that our legislators listen to evidence and data when sending millions out, but here we are: despite Oklahoma’s own internal audit showing their fake clinics’ incompetencies, they STILL renewed their contracts! So what you’re saying is that almost exclusively religious-based fake clinics who can’t get their shit together are going to keep getting paid while Oklahomans flood out of the state for abortion care? Make it make sense. 

HOW YOU CAN FIGHT BACK!
Learn more about these assholes at Expose Fake Clinics, and how you can fight back in your own communities! Then check out our Activist Calendar below and find even more ways to get involved! 

Not feeling like you wanna dig around a calendar? Here are this week’s highlights!

SOMETHING TO DO RIGHT NOW 

We are absolutely cooking with our petition to repeal The Comstock Act, with OVER 46K signatures! If you haven’t signed yet- now is the time!!
ACAB: All Comstocks Are Bad! Join Abortion Access Front and our partners in calling on our elected officials to REPEAL THE COMSTOCK ACT, and guarantee that it can never be used to ban abortion nationwide! Click below, and help us put Comstock in the ground for good!

HIGHLIGHTS OF SOME DOPE EVENTS THIS WEEK

MINNESOTA + BEYOND: FIGHT BACK AGAINST FAKE CLINICS
Fake clinics are everywhere, and we’re sick of it! Thankfully our friends at Gender Justice and  Minnesota Abortion Action Committee (MNAAC) are here to educate their community on what fake clinics are and how to fight back! Join their Virtual Crisis Pregnancy Center Teach-In on Wednesday, August 21st from 6:30pm to 8pm CT- registration link here!

NORTH CAROLINA: FAITH + ABORTION = WINNING
What more do we have to say? Most people of faith are pro-abortion, and they are mobilizing this year! Join Side With Love, UU Justice NC, Pro-Choice North Carolina, and Carolina Jews for Justice for their Interfaith Phone Banking on Tuesday, August 27th from 7pm to 9pm ET- registration link here! 

CHICAGO: 'NO ONE ASKED YOU' DOCUMENTARY SCREENING COMING UP!

‘No One Asked You’, the documentary all about Abortion Access Front’s work for the last seven years, has been busy, and we’re coming near you! Catch the doc at a special FREE SCREENING THIS WEEK in Chicago on Tuesday, August 20th! You may even see some of your favorite feminist buzzkills there- register here!

Tickets and info for all other upcoming screenings are at nooneaskedyoudoc.com

CHICAGO: LAST CALL FOR TICKETS!

Abortion Access Front is heading to Chicago! THIS MONDAY, August 19th at 8pm, L’Abortion Variety Hour: A Cavalcade of Cooch! will be hosted by the duo of Comedian Lizz Winstead (co-creator of The Daily Show, and AAF founder) and Chicago’s host of the Moth Story Hour and Metro’s own Jill Hopkins! Don’t miss this unforgettable one-time performance- get your tickets here!

CAN YOU HELP SUPPORT OUR WORK?
Now more than ever Abortion Access Front could use your support. If we've made you smarter or helped you engage with fellow do-gooders, please consider dropping a few dollars in the coffers to help us keep the work going!

See you at the DNC,
Xo Team Abortion AF