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Dear Friend,
Angry, terrified, disappointed, unprotected.
These are the emotions I feel as I write about the unfortunate news in Texas. On Wednesday morning, the most extreme abortion-ban bill Texas has ever seen went into effect and is now law. The U.S. Supreme Court had the power to block the law and protect our reproductive rights yet they made the decision not to. And to that we say: if the courts won’t take action, we will.
The new law in Texas bans abortion as early as SIX weeks and allows ANY person to sue a person or organization that provides abortion care or helps someone obtain an abortion. [1] For people with regular menstruation cycles, this means that they have only two weeks after a missed period to determine a pregnancy -- that’s before many people even know they are pregnant. Not only is this kind of pressure not fair to people in need of reproductive care, it is medically unnecessary and serves as a direct attack on people living in border communities, communities of color, and people with low income.
This is not the end, though. There is legislation right now before Congress that could right this horrific wrong. The Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA) is a bill that will actively protect the right to access abortion care throughout the U.S. by safeguarding against harsh bans and medically unnecessary restrictions. [2]
The time is now! Urge your member of Congress to co-sponsor the Women’s Health Protection Act.
Threats towards reproductive healthcare in Texas are a threat to reproductive healthcare, rights, and justice everywhere. This year, 2021, is officially the most hostile legislative year for reproductive health and rights since Roe v. Wade was decided almost five decades ago. Nearly 600 abortion restrictions were introduced this year alone — 90 of which have been enacted. [3] The Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA) is an important step forward in ensuring that people have attainable access to quality, affordable, and compassionate reproductive services and abortion in their state.
The fundamental right to make decisions about our bodies, lives, and futures is essential to the pursuit of racial, reproductive, and economic justice. Abortion restrictions are part of the intertwined systems of oppression that deny people their constitutional rights. The people hurt most by abortion restrictions are those who already face barriers to accessing health care –including women, Black, Brown, Latino, Indigenous and People of Color, those working to make ends meet, members of the LGBTQ and two-spirit community, immigrants, young people, those living in rural communities, people with disabilities, and mothers.
We are standing in solidarity with Texans, abortion providers, and advocates who are fighting endlessly to protect our reproductive rights. Take action, sign on with us today, tell your member of Congress to support and co-sponsor the Women’s Health Protection Act!
Sincerely,
-- Diarra, Tina, Kristin, and the entire MomsRising.org team/MamásConPoder Team
P.S. If you, or someone you know in Texas, need an abortion, you are perfectly within your legal right to receive one. If you need help accessing abortion care, please go to Texas Equal Access Fund, Lilith Fund, SYS (Support Your Sistah), The Bridge Collective, and/or Jane’s Due Process.
References:
[1] Supreme Court, Breaking Silence, Won't Block Texas Abortion Law, New York Times, September 1, 2021.
[2] H.R.3755 - Women’s Health Protection Act of 2021, Introduced by Rep. Chu, Judy [D-CA-27], June 8, 2021.
[3] 2021 Is on Track to Become the Most Devastating Antiabortion State Legislative Session in Decades, Guttmacher Institute, April 30, 2021.
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