2022 has been a whirlwind, and somehow we’ve found ourselves in July–over halfway through the year. The political environment in Texas has been anything but easy. SCOTUS’ decision to overturn Roe v. Wade made access to necessary healthcare, like abortion, completely nonexistent. Transgender children and their families continue to be attacked by far-right politicians. Our grid still can’t handle the heat. Yet, in these times, we feel hope. People are talking about abortion care, freedom, and the rights and dignity we all deserve more than ever before. It’s clear that our community is ready for change.
What comes next couldn’t be more important. We need to respond. We need action. So, we aren’t giving up. Instead, we’re using our rage to fuel us. It is incredibly vital right now to build power for our communities in support of progressive change. But here in Texas, we know victory doesn’t happen overnight. It comes in the form of small wins that add up over time–gradually, but relentlessly. Your support enables us to keep fighting.
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Here are some of the ways TFN has pursued relentless change so far this year: Reproductive Freedom & Just Texas - In addition to helping coordinate reproductive justice rallies drawing thousands of supporters, we’ve been working closely with our statewide and national partners to craft a response to meet this moment.
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We’ve launched our Post-Roe v. Wade in Texas: Info + Action Center, where people can access the information they need to mobilize, organize, and support the community during these challenging times.
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We are continuing our long-term efforts to mobilize faith congregations in support of abortion rights. Within Texas and nationally, we are seeing tons of interest from faith communities in pursuing our Reproductive Freedom Congregation designation. We are also pleased to welcome Shan Schaffer as our new Just Texas Faith Organizer!
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We’re elevating abortion rights ahead of the 2022 midterms by conducting abortion-forward voter registration across the state.
- We’re diligently preparing for what Roe’s overturn means for the 2023 legislative session. We’re expecting a new slate of attacks on sex education, birth control, and same-sex marriage, and we’ll be ready to defend our rights.
Texas Rising -
Our Texas Rising Student Leaders are fearless young college students who have earned their degrees amid a global pandemic, all while registering thousands of their peers to vote, organizing campus and online events, and testifying before the Legislature on issues like reproductive freedom, voting rights, LGBTQIA+ equality, and climate change.
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This weekend, we’re hosting Camp Texas Rising for more than 120 young activists, which will help equip them with the skills and experience to become the leaders our state needs for progressive change.
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Teach the Truth - As part of our efforts to ramp up our #TeachTheTruth campaign, earlier this year we added some new talent to our organizing team: Viv and Emerald.
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Our organizers have coordinated trainings on how to get involved in advocacy at the State Board of Education, planned several large-scale actions around SBOE flashpoints, collected reports from parents and communities about censorship in the classroom, and organized concerned parents and citizens to fight back at the local school board level.
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Recently, we pushed back against the erasure of LGBTQIA+ students by supporting Round Rock ISD to coordinate a hugely popular Pride event.
- Yesterday, we held a #TeachTheTruth Read-In at the Capitol Rotunda!
Looking Ahead to November We’ll be in touch in the next month or so with updates about our strategy for the 2022 midterms, including a slate of endorsements.
Now is not the time to give up. We will continue to channel our rage into building something better. What we do now matters—we need to chart a course for defending our rights at the Texas Capitol and beyond. Thank you for partnering with us. We truly wouldn’t be here without you, and I hope you’ll consider supporting our work with a gift today.
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Shannon Young (she/her/hers) Senior Donor Relations Manager |
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TFN is a statewide non-partisan, grassroots organization that is building an informed and effective movement working toward equality and social justice.
Texas Freedom Network
P.O. Box 1624
Austin, TX 78767
United States
Phone: (512) 322-0545
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