Today we affirm our solidarity with all people working for #ReproductiveJustice. Whether it is a right to an abortion, the right to affirming medical care, or the right to learn about your own history in schools, our rights to self-determination and bodily autonomy are entwined.
There will be an inevitable rush to consider what today's #SCOTUS opinion means for other legal precedents but this is a time to pledge our solidarity and shared community with all people who seek to end pregnancies and to acknowledge the impact of this opinion on all our lives.
As state legislatures and the courts aim to put our communities in harm's way we know where to look for leadership and vision – to the networks of community support, organizations, and people committed to protecting bodily autonomy that have anticipated and met this moment.
Now is a moment where many people will be erasing the vast experiences that trans people have while seeking abortion care. The deliberate decision to remove trans people results in a incomplete story about what this SCOTUS decision criminalizing abortion means. #DobbsvJackson
We urge journalists and the public to report with diligence and accuracy. This is not just a matter of inclusion. This is about telling the truth.
Trans people, especially those who disabled, Black, Indigenous, already face immense violence in medical settings. To erase their experiences only adds to that violence.
We won’t let this dampen the commitment we have to each other. We will continue finding ways to support each other in finding the abortion care that we need, as we’ve always done.
We are in solidarity with the many people and organizations that have been fighting for the right to bodily autonomy for all, from
big cities to rural towns. Bodily autonomy and agency are under attack and we all have a stake in this fight.
This attack on our bodily autonomy will move beyond abortions. We are seeing across the country that people are not able to access the medical care they need. Black people, disabled people, trans people have all experienced dangerous or fatal consequences when denied care.
Please take a moment to honor community members we’ve lost with us.
—Courtney “Eshay” Key, 25, Chicago, IL
—Jaheim Pugh Jaheim Barbie, aka "Bella," age 19, Prichard, AL
—Kimberly Patricia Cope, 40, Athens, GA
We speak your name aloud. We remember you.
Courtney “Eshay” Key’s murder on Christmas has shaken Chicago. “She wanted to be something,” said friend Beverly Ross. “She wanted to beat the odds.” Courtney had been improving her life before it was taken from her. Police continue to misgender her. chicago.cbslocal.com/2021/01/02/fun…
Jaheim Pugh Jaheim Barbie, aka "Bella,” was only 19 years old. Bella was a gender nonconforming person who was a beloved performer and entertainer. “I’m so ready to paint the SKY RAINBOW COLORS FOR YOU 💜🧡💚❤️💙,” wrote Jaheim’s brother on Facebook. al.com/news/2020/12/t…
This was not a win for a party. It was a win of the people. People who've been organizing their communities for decades. We believe in community over government.
Elections disempower us to believe we have to choose the lesser evil, we know that we are the ones with true power.
Our liberation lies beyond the government, it lies within us.
We won't let up on the pressure we’ve built on governments to defund and abolish police, and to decriminalize our communities — Black folks, trans folks, sex workers, migrants, folks who are at the intersections.
We are keeping a watchful eye on Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. The work is never done until all of us are free.
In the meantime, please make sure you're safe, as many have prepared for the possibility of retaliation from conservative groups.