Today, amidst a devastating pandemic and as communities rise up against systemic racism across the country, The Supreme Court voted to strike down what would have been the decimation of abortion access in the U.S. With a 5 - 4 margin, the Court narrowly struck down a Louisiana hospital admitting privileges law that would have left only one abortion provider remaining in the entire state and would have opened the floodgates for other states to dismantle abortion access. For a breakdown of the case, you can watch this AAF video explainer here! |
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By ruling in their favor, Louisiana’s last three clinics will remain open, for now. But here at Abortion Access Front, even though the whole team is crying tears of joy, we don't see this as a time to celebrate; rather, it's a time to mobilize, knowing another law or regulation is just around the corner. Just four years ago, the Court struck down an identical law from Texas, and states continue to pass hundreds of deceptive laws and abortion restrictions each year. The two Trumpinees voted to strip us of access today, and Chief Justice Roberts ONLY voted to shut down the law because he respects precedent. If this had been another law destroying access to abortion that the Court had not previously ruled on, we may not not have the friendly bedfellow we saw in Roberts. This should be on the top of all of our minds — there will BE another case. Anti-abortion extremists will stop at nothing to force clinics to close their doors. Since our founding in 2015, AAF has been on the ground working with local activists to help build support for the clinics in their communities. Whether it’s touring the country doing comedy shows and direct actions or through videos and social media campaigns, we've been committed to sounding the alarm about all the ways abortion access is relentlessly being chipped away and how independent clinics are bearing the brunt of the burdensome restrictions, all while facing daily harassment by religious extremists. We also recognize that Black, indigenous and people of color suffer disproportionately from these laws and from a lack of access to quality healthcare in general, and we believe that intersectional activism is the way towards achieving true equality. As we take to the streets promising to dismantle white supremacy, we must remember that the foundations of all our systems are rooted in racism, and healthcare is no exception. The extreme lack of resources given to supporting all pregnancy outcomes, including abortion, is shameful. It is on all of us to change that. With today’s decision, we commit to fighting even harder to protect abortion access and end the racial disparities in our healthcare systems, following the leadership of Black-led organizations and ensuring that we center those most impacted in our work. We call on everyone to harness the energy of this urgent moment, and join with us to uplift abortion providers and shift the landscape to once and for all to stop this endless stream of patriarchal and racist laws that strip away bodily autonomy. Never stop fighting, |
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