| We at The Nation are thinking quite a bit about the progressives who defended our democracy in preparation for our annual honor roll, which arrives on newsstands next month. For Repro Nation’s final issue of 2022, I wanted to reflect a bit on abortion rights defenders, who in the face of the worst odds have not backed down. I don’t know about you, but this moment calls for deep gratitude before embarking on a new year that promises even more demolition of basic human rights.
Since launching Repro Nation, we’ve included a short list of resources for anyone seeking an abortion or anyone looking to help people seeking abortions. Beacons of light, the resources include: The 19th’s state-by-state breakdown of where abortion is legal; ineedana.com; If/When/How’s Repro Legal Helpline; and PlanCPills.org, a trusted resource for purchasing abortion pills online.
Earlier this year, when wrongheaded Rio Grande Valley sheriffs arrested and charged a woman with murder for allegedly self-inducing an abortion, a coalition of Texas-based reproductive justice organizations were on it. The Frontera Fund and South Texans for Reproductive Justice, along with their legal support networks, had prepared for this moment and quickly responded, getting the woman released and the charges dropped. (People wrongfully charged should not be named by the media only to have their reputation tarnished over an arrest that shouldn’t have happened.)
Abortion funds, period, have risen to the occasion this year while fighting burnout and chronic underfunding and understaffing. Indigenous Women Rising has continued to provide its critical “wraparound care” to the communities it serves, amid a surge in demand. And the Abortion Fund of Ohio is working to increase funding for abortion care and to develop a ballot measure to protect abortion access in coordination with other reproductive freedom groups. Where abortion was on the ballot in 2022, voters sided with the pro-choice majority.
The many abortion providers, researchers, and legal experts who risked their personal safety and mental health to testify in front of congressional committees—or to the media or on social. We see you, Professor Michele Goodwin, Dr. Yashica Robinson, We Testify’s Renee Bracey Sherman and Sarah Lopez, and AVOW’s Aimee Arrambide, to name only a few.
Special shout-out to the male ally lawmakers who spoke out in support of abortion rights, including Sen. Gary Peters and Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes. And the state prosecutors who are holding the line in the face of the Dobbs ruling, like DA José Garza.
And to all of you who subscribed to this newsletter: Thank you for joining us in this struggle for reproductive freedom. In this era of election deniers, activist judges, and a deep-pocketed right, we have a responsibility to spread evidence-based information. Without your support, this wouldn’t be possible.
Is someone missing from this list? Please share your nominations, and we’ll highlight them in our January newsletter.
See you next year,
Regina Mahone, Senior Editor |
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