Dear John, Lawd. I’ve only been back in NYC for a hot minute, and now we’re packing our bags for the next leg of AbortionAF: The Tour. With reproductive rights circling the drain, it’s imperative we are out on the road year round. THERE’S JUST TOO MUCH IS AT STAKE TO TAKE A SEASON OFF. If you’ve ever wondered how we pick which states to visit on tour, we just look for headlines like these:   So Texas and Louisiana... we'll be seeing you real soon!  What the headlines aren’t telling you is how abortion laws in these states are creating a judicial crisis. Back in 2017, we had a great victory in the Supreme Court with the Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt decision. The court struck down TRAP laws… laws that claim to “protect” women’s health but really just place onerous restrictions on abortion clinics. That decision should have paved a straightforward way for all states to successfully challenge similar laws on their books. But not in Louisiana! Instead of allowing a lawsuit that would overturn Louisiana’s TRAP laws to proceed in a district court, the state filed an emergency request asking the more conservative Fifth Circuit Court to dismiss the case entirely. Basically, the state is trying to sidestep proper judicial procedure and make its arguments before a more sympathetic set of judges (i.e. one that includes two Trump appointees). What’s terrifying is that the Fifth Circuit is actually considering it, which would be a giant middle finger to the legal precedent set by the Supreme Court. Now while Justice Roberts is no friend to reproductive rights, he does at least want to maintain the appearance that the bedrock of the U.S. judicial branch isn’t crumbling around him, so it’s likely that the Supreme Court would intercede. But there’s always a chance that he won’t, meaning the Supreme Court would be going against their own precedent, forcing two clinics to close and leaving Louisiana with only one abortion provider. Sigh. We covered the TRAP laws in Louisiana back in 2016 with the help of Queen Bey. And yet, here’s where we are three years later, even with a Supreme Court decision on our side. This is EXACTLY why we must be AbortionAF road warriors.  Time to burn rubber, Lizz P.S. You can support our work in states where abortion is hanging by a thread by making a donation.  |