Roe v. Wade is the law of the land. Let's keep it that way.

A commemoration of Roe v. Wade and a reminder to not give up the fight

Dear MoveOn member,

It's a new decade, but the same old fights for our reproductive rights are not over. Across the country, anti-abortion politicians are trying to legislate abortion out of existence. From 2011 to 2017, state legislatures have passed nearly 400 abortion restrictions.¹ These laws include everything from bans on specific methods of abortion care to biased counseling and parental involvement requirements to onerous regulations—such as widening the hallways—that are aimed at shutting down clinics and making patients jump through unnecessary and often humiliating hoops.

We're fighting back. Last year, MoveOn members helped ensure access to safe abortion and reproductive health care by donating $208,715 to the Yellowhammer Fund and $183,000 to the Gateway Fund, the abortion funds for Alabama and Missouri, respectively. We joined with our partners at Planned Parenthood and NARAL for more than 300 #StopTheBans rallies across the country to tell state lawmakers to end these attacks on our reproductive rights, and we raised $262,850 for Planned Parenthood when it came under direct attack from the Trump administration this fall.  

The impact on the state level is that these laws restricting access fall hardest on low-income communities, people of color, and the LGBTQ and other marginalized communities. Today is the 47th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Abortion has been recognized as constitutional right in the U.S. for 47 years, but right now, this right is under attack like never before. 

We're on the eve of one of the largest national attacks on reproductive rights. On March 4, the U.S. Supreme Court is hearing a case on a Louisiana law that, if allowed to take effect, would decimate abortion access statewide and leave Louisiana with only one abortion clinic. And, under the new conservative court, the case could set a dangerous precedent that challenges our rights established in Roe v. Wade. Abortion rights are meaningless without access, and we cannot afford to be silent.  

So we're getting prepared, and we want to make sure everyone is ready to mobilize if needed. MoveOn has joined the #MyRightMyDecision coalition made up of national and grassroots reproductive rights and justice organizations from all across the country who are fighting back against the attacks on our bodily autonomy.²

Keeping abortion safe, legal, and accessible is about more than just health care. Watch "Ours to Tell" from We Testify and Planned Parenthood, a short film that shows what empowered lives people can live when they've had the chance to make their own reproductive choices.

Today, in honor of Roe's anniversary, MoveOn took part in a Twitter chat with the #MyRightMyDecision coalition. We answered questions about abortion access across the country, and included information about how you can get involved to help protect reproductive rights. You can follow #MyRightMyDecision on Twitter for highlights. Together, we're fighting to defend abortion access.

Reproductive freedom is essential in our work to create a country where everyone can thrive. Please take 15 minutes to watch these inspirational people share their stories about how generations of securing and protecting reproductive rights have changed their and their families' lives. Then get ready to turn the heat up as more attacks arise in states—and possibly from the Supreme Court.

Thanks for all you do.

–Mary, Isbah, Emma, Jenn, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "Policy Trends in the States, 2017," Guttmacher Institute, January 2, 2018
https://act.moveon.org/go/115810?t=11&akid=255331%2E10220574%2EOAwNWk

2. Fight Back, #MyRightMyDecision.org, accessed January 22, 2020
https://act.moveon.org/go/115811?t=13&akid=255331%2E10220574%2EOAwNWk

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