Post-Roe: Where Do We Go From Here?

After almost 50 years of protection and precedent, a right-leaning SCOTUS just overturned Roe v Wade putting countless lives at risk. While this is a setback, it is most definitely not a surprise. White Christian nationalists have been working towards this goal for the last few decades, rigging our democracy in their favor to ensure minority rule and control.

But this ruling isn’t just about reproductive rights, it’s about self determination. Clarence Thomas, in his concurring opinion is calling on the court to overrule Griswold (contraception), Lawrence (same-sex intimacy), and Obergefell (same sex marriage). This decision has far reaching implications that put most of us at risk.

But we are not doomed. @PrisonCulture reminds us

“It IS a good day to pay attention today to the people who have spent 10 years saying this day was coming. Because coincidentally those are also many of the people who will tell you that nothing is doomed”.

Anything is possible…when we fight for what matters.

Don’t fall into urgency. Make time for grief. Listen to people on the ground. And get ready. This is gonna be a long game.

Kerri (she/her)

1. Roe overturned: What you need to know about the Supreme Court abortion decision. [click to tweet]

2. Before 2018, most women in Ireland weren’t able to get an abortion. What Ireland's past can tell us about a post-Roe America [click to tweet]

3. 26 States are certain or likely to ban abortion without Roe. Here’s which ones and why. [click to tweet]

4. We are entering an era not just of unsafe abortions but of the widespread criminalization of pregnancy. We’re not going back to the time before Roe. We’re going somewhere worse. [click to tweet]

5. It’s a bad time to need an abortion in the United States. Here’s how to prepare for a Post-Roe America. [click to tweet]

There are currently 13 trigger laws that automatically ban abortion: Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri (signed into law at 816a this morning), North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Wyoming. And it is expected that 28 states total will ban abortion in the coming weeks/months. This is a long game, but here’s what you can do now:

• Donate Abortion Funds: Check this out for resources to share and organizations to donate to support abortion access in the United States, Guam, and Puerto Rico!

• VOTEPROCHOICE: Will your DA refuse to prosecute abortion patients?

  Does your School Board support science-based, inclusive sex ed?

  Are your State Reps and Senators ready to protect reproductive freedom? Check out this voters guide for pro-choice champions near you.

• Help abortion seekers cross state lines: Organizations like the Brigid Alliance and Midwest Access Coalition directly fundraise to cover travel expenses and related costs for abortion seekers in states with limited options

• Learn more about the abortion pill. Visit ShareAbortionPill.Info for information and links on where and how to access pills, how they work, potential legal risks, and more.

• Speak out: Mind your language as you do your part to spread the word and organize people into action. Here’s a messaging tool to guide your conversations.

• Rally: Direct action and civil disobedience demonstrates the power of the people and what we are willing to risk for justice. Keep a look out for rallies happening around the country in the coming days. We won’t go back.

Art by @LiberalJane

Any limit on abortion access disproportionately harms Black, cis women, girls, transgender and gender non-conforming people. It stems from a long history of reproductive control rooted in the legacy of enslavement. The fall of Roe is one more way the state can control bodies and criminalize the most vulnerable among us. The fundamental right to self determination and bodily autonomy is essential to liberation. Here’s what you can do:

• Prioritize donating to BIPOC abortion funds: The ripple effect of this decision will be felt by all marginalized people, particularly in states already limiting access to abortion. Follow Afiya Center in Texas, Holler Health Justice in West Virginia, Yellowhammer Fund in Alabama and Indigenous Women Rising.

• Follow the people who know the way @blackfeministfuture @sistersong_woc @newvoicesrj @harrietsdreams

• Check out Movement for Black Lives policy platform to end the war on Black women.

Image by @jennypotter, Resources by @mvmnt4blacklives

Make time for grief. And check on your people.

Art by @petals_to_print

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