Thread by @LegallyLove

As the #AZLeg is poised to pass a 15-week Mississippi-style abortion ban, I just want to remind everyone that this isn’t only about abortion.

So, hear me out…

Over the past few years, I’ve been asked by PP supporters why we can’t simply stay in our abortion rights lane. I got this question a lot after we took a stand on police money in elections.

https://twitter.com/LegallyLove/status/1288133252738215941?s=20

My response has always been that our lane is whichever one our patients need us in. They’re whole people with a range of obstacles that can prevent them from reaching our doors. We want to be a party of the solution.

That means we work in collaboration with other aligned social justice movements. Apparently, that’s too spicy for folks who want to compartmentalize abortion and issues like policing. But let me tell you how intimately they’re connected right here in AZ.

If SCOTUS decides to gut Roe v. Wade and PP v. Casey as predicted, abortion will immediately be criminalized in AZ because of century-old laws still on our books. These trigger bans come with criminal penalties for those seeking, providing, and assisting with abortions.

That means police can arrest anyone violating these archaic laws. Imagine pregnant people and abortion providers being thrown into the pit at your local jail. Imagine then encountering Phoenix PD, which is currently being investigated by the DOJ for civil rights violations.

You don’t think abortion rights and policing don’t share a lane? Just wait.

That’s the main reason I wanted Dr. Angela Davis to speak at our fundraisers. Her work in abolition is intimately connected with reproductive freedom.

https://twitter.com/legallylove/status/1489036273691987969

Additionally, that the #AZLeg is attacking abortion rights, voting rights, LGBTQ+ rights, education rights, etc. all at the same damn time is no coincidence. Republicans understand how these issues intersect. It shouldn’t be this hard to get our supporters to connect the dots.

These antis won’t stop at abortion. They’re coming for trans kids. They’re coming for schools and teachers. They’re coming for voting rights. They won’t stop until we’re living in a theocracy where we will all be less free, but those of us in the margins will be impacted most.

And despite overwhelming support of abortion rights, most Arizonans don’t get in the voting booth and vote solely on abortion. So, it’s vital that we connect our issue with other issues Arizonans care about. We can be I whatever lane you need!

But if you’re telling me we need to focus more on white suburban soccer moms, I’m going to respond “the women who voted Trump?Nah.” Our focus needs to be as broad as and reflective of the patients we serve. Period. I’ll die on that hill.

All Arizonans should have bodily autonomy! We should have the ability to love who we want and build the families we want when we want. We should be able to raise our families is safe, healthy environments free of state violence. Let us live!

And pardon my typos. These fingers and this phone. 🤦🏾‍♀️🤷🏾‍♀️