John,
Jane Roe — the plaintiff of Roe v. Wade — was a Texan. So were both of her attorneys, Linda Coffee and Sarah Weddington.
Born and raised in Texas, they argued for a woman’s right to choose before the all-male Supreme Court in 1973.
No one rode to our rescue from outside of Texas. No one saved the day for us. Texas women showed up, fought back, and won protections for reproductive rights — not just for themselves but for every woman nationwide.
Now, 49 years later, Greg Abbott’s extreme trigger law is set to outlaw all abortions in Texas without exception for rape or incest.
It’s true once again, John — nobody is riding in to save us from outside Texas. It’s on you, it’s on me, it’s on all of us. And with us in this fight every step of the way is my friend Beto O’Rourke.
Take a look at that photo. What you’re looking at is thousands of Texans coming together to rally for our reproductive freedom. Beto’s campaign put that event in the Texas Capital together in a matter of hours. And as a lifelong Texan, this image fills me with a lot of hope.
Change is coming to Texas, John. Beto understands that action is the antidote to despair, and the key to victory. He is inspiring unmistakable grassroots energy in every part of our state, and building a coalition of millions of Texas voters who reject Greg Abbott’s extreme decision to strip us of our fundamental rights.
Make no mistake, we are up against massive political power in this fight. So if we are going to restore reproductive freedom in Texas, we must seize political power on our own — beginning by electing a governor who believes in a woman’s freedom to make her own decisions about her own body, health care, and future.
Just like the Texas women who took their fight all the way to the Supreme Court in 1973, I believe we will come together and do whatever it takes to reclaim what is rightfully ours: the ability to make decisions about our own bodies.
We are the ones to meet this moment. It is on all of us to do our part.
In solidarity,
Cecile
Cecile Richards
National Finance Chair, Beto for Texas
Former President of Planned Parenthood
