John –
The U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning the constitutional right to abortion is already rippling across our country and the lives of millions of people in harmful ways. As abortion bans go into effect across the South, we are working with partners on the ground, including this week in South Carolina, to support efforts to ensure people have access to the health care they need and deserve.
We are also preparing for what comes next. The Dobbs ruling is the starkest signal yet of the powerful forces who remain focused on undoing decades of progress, no matter the cost. Justice Clarence Thomas, in his concurring opinion in the case, directly invited opponents of LGBTQ+ equality to bring forward cases to overturn historic rulings such as Obergefell and Lawrence.
We know that the South, which is home to one third of LGBTQ Americans, is poised to become the epicenter of the next focused wave of attacks on our legal rights. Our region has long been used as a laboratory for the most extreme policies, from HB2 in NC to state action in TX that criminalizes parents for ensuring their children have access to gender affirming health care.
Simply put: your zip code should not determine your rights in America. Yet this is the reality for LGBTQ people in the South. We need to act now.
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