We rallied for Abortion Justice. Here’s what we do next.
by Ashley Crary Lidow on Oct 5, 2021
On Saturday, October 2nd over 300 people came out to MLK park in Columbia, joining the thousands of people across the state to rally for abortion justice.
What does Abortion Justice mean?
Abortion Justice is a phrase coined by our friends at All* Above All that recognizes that racism, economic insecurity, and immigration status multiply the massive barriers to abortion care. So, our solutions must include racial, economic, and immigrant justice. Abortion justice is about more than just protecting Roe—the right to an abortion.
The reality is, the legal right to abortion alone has never been enough to ensure people, especially BIPOC and people working to make ends meet, can get the care they need when they need it. We need more than legality, we need a world where abortion is affordable and available in all of our communities, when people need care, from providers and in ways that people trust.
What’s next in the fight for abortion justice?
We have known that the day when abortion access would be challenged at the Supreme Court is coming. This is not a surprise. This is not a secret. Abortion access has been systematically under attack in this country for decades. It is beyond time for abortion to be secured legally, funded fully, and equitable and available for all who need it, when they need it, without shame or stigma.
The US Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on December 1st on a major abortion rights case.
- Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization marks the first time the Court will rule on the constitutionality of a pre-viability abortion ban since Roe. The Court’s ruling in Roe recognized that the decision whether to continue a pregnancy or have an abortion, which impacts a person’s body, health, family and future, belongs to the individual, not the government. Click here to learn more about the case details.
In a record-breaking year for anti-abortion legislation, South Carolina’s 6 week abortion ban is only one of nearly 100 abortion restrictions passed in state legislatures this year. That’s why we’re pushing Congress on the Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA). This bill will provide a nationwide safeguard against abortion bans and medically unnecessary restrictions that push abortion out of reach. The House passed it just a few weeks ago and it’s now the Senate’s turn to take up this critical legislation.
Click here to tell your Senator to pass WHPA.
It is time to be loud and support the people that have abortions and the medical professionals that ensure abortion access happens every day. Fund local abortion clinics to keep our clinics open, donate to your local abortion funds to ensure people have access, support and funding, tell your own abortion story, and listen deeply to the stories of people you love.
Make your voice heard by signing our petition today. Together, we can work to ensure that every person in South Carolina has respect, dignity, and agency.
Click here to sign the petition.
Check out some awesome photos from the event!
Photos courtesy of Demetria Mosley and Maya Ward.
