Reproductive Resources for American Women
I have spent the last few days in a furious rage about the horrific decision from the supreme court that negatively effects half of the American population, puts the lives of countless women and girls in danger, and has us sliding back in time in America. So let’s lay it out and share resources for next steps - and in the words of Gloria Steinem: “There is no democracy without the right to chose”.
There are a million reasons I am angry and devastated, including: our country is trying to control women yet again, the return of unsafe abortions, death sentences for many women and girls who face forced birth that put their lives at risk, further marginalizing poor and/or BIPOC people with a uterus, rape victims who become pregnant will be further violated, the refusal to embrace processes to help minimize pregnancies in the first place (sex education, contraception, etc), an outdated supreme court made up of many sketchy individuals with extreme views & behavior who value gun rights over women’s rights - and not stopping here, they are likely to come after LGBTQ rights too, congress ignoring the will of the people (in polls, the majority of Americans support the right to abortion and gun regulation), extreme right wing media pundits & confused folks claiming to be Christians (that actually don’t seem to actually understand Christianity) imposing beliefs/rules on everyone and ignoring that we have the separation of church & state here (or are supposed to, but then this ruling happened), the fact that people against abortion are NOT “pro life” when they often won’t address gun regulation, lack of healthcare and childcare, the over 400,000 kids in the foster care system, the fact that many lifesaving medical procedures require abortion, and so much more. The dystopian nightmare is here, and it is the only major western nation to step backwards. This is absolutely about controlling women, and I suspect you will see a further split of states within the union as they dictate future laws very differently. You can have your opinion, but it should absolutely not be law over someone else’s reproductive rights and healthcare. And in trigger ban states, there are no exceptions for any medical needs around it at all. This is a travesty and not the time to be silent.
Other’s have written eloquently about what this means for the future of women, the US and democracy, what comes next, and most importantly - RESOURCES to share.
RESOURCES (will keep adding, and finding more help networks. Most of this list comes from Forward Midfery)
UPDATED: As of July 13th, the F.D.A. Approves First U.S. Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pill
First, visit Bansoff.org to support Planned Parenthood actions (also the ACLU and more)
Where to get pills online: PlanCPills.org/guide
Find a brick & mortar clinic: Ineedana.org, AbortionFinder.org, Prochoice.org
Cyber security info: digitaldefensefund.org/learn
Medical questions during at home abortion/miscarriage: MAHotline.org
Legal questions: reprolegalhelpline.org
Find an abortion doula: wearedopo.com
Judgement-free all options consuelling: all-options.org
Emotional support during medical abortion: reprocare.com
Emotional support after your abortion check: exhaleprovoice.org, connectandbreathe.org
Help with practical support (transport, etc): apiarycollective.org/pso-list
Funding your abortion: Abortionfunds.org
READS:
Op-Ed, NY Times: The Ruling Overturning Roe Is an Insult to Women and the Judicial System
Op-Ed, LA Times: The Supreme Court is not accountable to the people. So what can check its power?
Op-ed, MSNBC: One of the most seismic, yet overlooked, impacts of overturning Roe will be the constrains on our economic freedoms
New Yorker: Roe’s Final Hours in One of America’s Largest Abortion Clinics
NPR: What states are abortions now banned or strictly limited?
Atlantic: I invented Gilead. The supreme court is making it real by Margaret Atwood
“I love you, keep going” and ‘Watch What They Do Next’ by Jill Filipovic
NYT: Companies that have stated they will protect their employees, and cover travel for services in other states (still growing)
Vice: Tech Companies Won't Say If They’ll Give Cops Abortion Data
This is the slippery slope we are facing with dangerous people on the supreme court, with very sketchy lives and stances - scary stuff. CNBC Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas says gay rights, contraception rulings should be reconsidered after Roe is overturned
OTHER:
US western states band together to protect abortion rights (California, Oregon, Washington - yes!)
Scrapping Roe v. Wade makes the US an outlier in the West (the US was literally subtweeted by world leaders. It’s embarrassing)
A reminder that the UN (Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court) states that forced birth is a crime against humanity
Be careful and delete your period tracking apps. I know this sound paranoid, but tech giants (ie. Google) have not stated how they will handle information tracking or data sharing in states that seek to punish (and have citizens tell on) women seeking abortions or abortion pills
Spend wisely. If a company is hurling money at anti-choice or anti-women politicians, don’t give them your money. Hit them in the wallet. (Ironically, nearly all the states suppressing women’s reproductive rights are in bad shape, from education to economy, and have high infant mortality rates, so they are just screwing themselves further)