We all deserve to figure out for ourselves who we are and live our lives as we see fit, no matter what boxes bigots may try to force us into. This bedrock principle is central to the very concept of freedom, and to the struggle for LGBTQ+ rights going back generations.
Republican legislators across the country, in state houses and in Congress, have been demonizing transgender people and passing laws prohibiting them from being who they are, censoring any mention of their existence, and trying to take away the meager protections they currently have. As always, they sow fear and division while we try to build a better future for all. Their latest is a hateful bill by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene that would criminalize gender-affirming healthcare.
This Congress will not pass Rep. Greene’s hate bill. What this Congress could do, and should do—but so far hasn’t—is pass Rep. Pramila Jayapal’s resolution calling for the federal government to pass a Trans Bill of Rights declaring that transgender and nonbinary people are equal under the law. While this resolution is not actual legislation, it’s still sorely needed. As the far right continues its attacks, what we need now is not silence but a statement. Passing this resolution would make that statement. Now is the time.
When trans rights are under attack, what do we do? Stand up! Fight back! And demand that our legislators fight back as well by passing House Resolution 1209 calling for a Trans Bill of Rights.
Tell Speaker Pelosi: Pass H.Res.1209 calling for a Trans Bill of Rights!
ALSO: Don’t forget to make your comment in support of the Department of Education’s Title IX rule by Monday, September 19!
Moving Forward in Post-Roe America
It’s been just two months since the reactionaries on our Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion, and the resulting damage is spreading at a horrifying pace, from pregnant people forced to carry non-viable fetuses to term at great danger to themselves to a minor declared not mature enough to decide to have an abortion (but mature enough to be forced to give birth).
Yet people across the country are responding by taking action. On Tuesday, August 2, voters in Kansas turned out in record numbers for that state’s primary and surprised the nation with a 60-40 landslide defeating a referendum that would have freed the Kansas legislature to restrict or ban abortion by stripping protections for abortion from the state constitution. And Kansas isn’t an outlier. In states where abortion rights are at stake, new voter registrations are spiking among women. We can’t say for sure what will happen in the long term, but voters definitely seem furious about this assault on bodily autonomy and getting fired up to fight back.
Indivisible is all about pushing to get Democrats into office and influencing them to do the right thing once they’re there—but that's not always enough. Sometimes we need to take direct action. Now is one of those times.
Clinics in places where abortion is now restricted or outright banned are being forced to reduce services, close, or relocate across state lines. Clinics in states that support abortion rights are facing a massive influx of patients from elsewhere, which delays care for everyone. Meanwhile, the need for financial help and practical support is far beyond the ability of abortion funds to meet it. On top of that, several funds have temporarily stopped taking calls while they work to determine how they can continue to help callers while keeping themselves and their volunteers on the right side of laws that are changing almost daily.
People who need help now can’t wait for the next election cycle. So here’s a reminder that we’ve got a list of things you can do right now to help protect everyone’s right to make their own decisions about if, when, and with whom to have children: Solidarity: Support Access to Safe Abortion | Indivisible SF.
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If you’re interested in participating in activities like drafting letters to our Members of Congress and developing our strategy for influencing them, the Indivisible SF Federal Working Group is where it happens. Our next meeting is on Thursday, Aug. 25. Details on how to register below.
ISF Federal Working Group meeting: Thursday, Aug. 25, 7:30–9 PM. Register here to join our regular Zoom meeting, where we work together to develop strategies for influencing our Members of Congress and the Biden administration to support a progressive agenda. You’re welcome to participate and contribute, even if you’ve never attended an ISF meeting before.
Bay Area Coalition Phone Banks: Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Help our friends at Swing Left talk to voters about the upcoming primaries and midterms. Join Swing Left and the Bay Area Coalition on Wednesday evenings, Saturday mornings, and Sunday afternoons to make calls to voters in California and around the nation. Sign up for a shift:
- TODAY, Wednesday, Aug. 24, 5–7 PM
- Saturday, Aug. 27, 10 AM–12 PM
- Sunday, Aug. 28, 1–3 PM
Voter registration drive in the California Central Valley with Swing Left: Saturdays. Swing Left needs your help registering voters in Central Valley CD-13 and CD-22, from Modesto to Bakersfield. Join them every weekend until Tuesday, November 8 for door-to-door and COVID-safe canvassing to register voters. Sign up here:
- Saturday, Aug. 27, 9 AM–3:30 PM
- Saturday, Sep. 3, 9 AM–3:30 PM
- Saturday, Sep. 10, 9 AM–3:30 PM
About this week’s photo
If you’ve seen our newsletter posts on Twitter and Facebook, you might have noticed that we include a photo or graphic with each issue.
Today's image is a graphic shared by Rep. Pramila Jayapal on Twitter announcing her introduction of the Trans Bill of Rights.
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Keep Fighting,
The Indivisible SF Team
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