Statement on Supreme Court Decision on Abortion Rights
The Supreme court released the Dobbs decision today and we are feeling angry and gutted. Americans have had the right to an abortion – albeit partial and unequally accessible – for nearly fifty years. If you can get pregnant today, you almost certainly do not remember a time when you did not have the right to end that pregnancy. But five right-wingers in robes just took those rights from us in the biggest rollback of rights in this country we’ve seen in many of our lifetimes. This will fall hardest on our marginalized communities who disproportionately lack the means and access to resources to travel far to sanctuary states or get their hands on abortion pills or other services needed.
The right to total bodily autonomy must be part of our liberation work. The collective must protect the rights of pregnant people, including transgender, nonbinary, and gender expansive individuals to determine their reproductive rights. The right to having free, safe and accessible abortions, on demand, without apologies, is necessary. It is within our collective right to have healthcare for all and live in communities that uplift everyone.
We know how important this decision is not only to working class people who can become pregnant, but also many other marginalized communities like our Black, Brown and Indigenous trans, intersex and femme comrades and siblings. Communities which have suffered constant injustice. This SCOTUS decision means that over a dozen states will automatically have abortion banned and more states will pass de facto or concrete abortion bans, increasing the already present criminalization. Poor and working class people will have a hard time accessing abortion, which we’ve already seen in states with de facto abortion ban legislation. Further, individuals in abusive relationships or those who’ve experienced rape will have even more barriers to healing and will suffer further trauma.
If the state is able to control our bodies, we will never be free.
This is a dark day for our communities, indeed and we should take the time we need, whether in grief, or marching in the streets, or more. The true architects of this decision are the conservative legal movement and the richest 1% that funds them. While that movement was successful today, the vast majority agrees we inherently have a right to bodily autonomy. That’s why it is now more important than ever that we be here for each other and continue to support each other.
We also demand that our representatives at the state and local level take immediate action to ensure Pennsylvania is not next in having abortions banned. We, personally, must support the movement for abortion access and build it stronger, and take part in mutual aid to ensure that everyone can access reproductive healthcare whether it is protected or not.
Join us in taking action!
We need a strong organized movement - for pressuring electeds, providing resources and mutual aid and responding powerfully in moments of direct action and rapid response. There are many ways you can take action at this moment.
Join our coalitional rally tonight at 6:30 at City Hall.
There are resources that are accessible to people with income barriers thanks to Abortion Fund PA. Donate to ensure even more people can access safe abortions and support Abortion Fund PA in their work to provide infrastructure and services now. Continue to share the fact that we can access legal and safe abortions in PA at this moment and dispel misinformation that abortion is unavailable.
Join our electoral strategy subcommittee to volunteer in the general election canvassing to ensure the safeguard of a veto remains in Harrisburg as we face new threats to our bodily autonomy. Donate to support our canvassing efforts for the upcoming general election.
In the words of Mariame Kaba “Let this moment radicalize you rather than move you to despair.” Move deeper into the movement community that will continue to show up and build power for each other. Volunteer with Reclaim and Sign up to join our fight to continue to build power for all