Dear John,
As of last Friday, Arizona has revived a 157-year-old abortion law, immediately forcing all abortion clinics in the state to stop providing care. You heard that right: Arizonans had their human rights replaced with a Civil War–era law.
People who cannot travel out of state for abortion will be forced to remain pregnant against their will. The only exception in the law is to save the life of the pregnant person—often forcing a hospital to balance your life against their legal liability. The 1864 law—which was reworked as an abortion ban in 1901—wasn’t written with abortion in mind. Instead, the law is largely focused on pregnancy loss related to men’s actions during the Civil War—think dueling and poisoning (I’m not joking). Now, right-wing legislators are weaponizing this law to prevent people from accessing essential health care.
Clearly, this law is outdated and ridiculous, but its intentions aren’t. The legal regression of the progress women, Black, Brown, and Indigenous people, LGBTQ+ folks, disabled folks, and more have made is no better personified than an 1864 law going back into effect. But what this means is that we need folks like you to support the people this will immediately harm, and to stay on top of state abortion updates.
This Civil War–era law might cost people their lives, so we must ALL act urgently. You can help Arizonans access abortion care by donating to Abortion Fund of Arizona, and you can fight back on the ground with Arizonans for Reproductive Freedom.
What else is happening?
California
Governor Newsom signed into law a bill with multiple provisions for protecting and expanding abortion, some of which aim to help out-of-state patients access care in California. The bill includes increased protections for privacy, protections for pregnant people against civil and criminal penalties for their pregnancy outcomes, and protections from out-of-state lawsuits for abortions that are legal in California.
Indiana
Indiana’s abortion ban went into effect on September 15, but has since been temporarily halted by a judge, allowing clinics to continue to perform abortions. Indiana clinics are reporting that they are serving patients from in and out of the state while they can. You can help people access abortion care: donate to All-Options Hoosier Abortion Fund and get involved with Women4Change in their fight to protect abortion.
West Virginia
Gov. Jim Justice signed into law a ban on abortions at all stages of pregnancy on Friday. The bill went into effect immediately, except for the criminal penalties, which will go into effect in 90 days. Follow @HollerHealth on Twitter for opportunities to take action and donate to support abortion access.
What else can I do?
- Offer practical support to people seeking abortions in your state. Besides volunteering at clinics, people need support traveling to get abortions. Different states have different organizations and logistical asks.
- Donate to abortion funds: You’ve heard it many times before, if you’re able to donate to abortion funds, please do. It is needed right now for patients who cannot access care in their state.
- Get informed and stay informed: Check out our reading list below each week and share information with your friends!
- Do what you can not to burn out: This is going to be a big fight, and we cannot afford to lose focus in a few weeks or months. Pace yourself in your consumption of news and make abortion advocacy a consistent part of your life.
I want to learn more!
In solidarity,
Caitlin Panarella
(she/her/hers)
Campaigns Associate
National Women's Law Center
P.S. Check out our resource hub for updates!
