RESOURCE THE FIGHT FOR ABORTION JUSTICE
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The Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade, leaving birthing people in Louisiana without access to abortion care. Women with a Vision and our partners will continue advocating for the bodily autonomy and ultimate liberation of Black women and birthing people, poor folks, and the LGBTQ+ community. Sign up for updates on how to get involved.
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Last night I got the news–the Supreme Court drafted an opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade. And while reproductive justice organizers have been preparing for this decision, the news still knocked the wind out of me.
This is not a final decision, but if it stands it will essentially mean the end of abortion care in Louisiana, one of the poorest states in the nation with the worst outcomes for birthing people. But our fight’s not over yet.
Women with a Vision has been in the fight for over 30 years. When federal, state, and local health agencies were ignoring the burgeoning HIV/AIDS epidemic among Black women, we hit the streets to educate our neighbors. When Louisiana lawmakers took aim at abortion care, we faced arrest for protesting in the halls of the capitol.
Every day we’re working to ensure our neighbors have access to healthcare through our Medicare assistance programs. We’re fighting to ensure the voices of Black and brown women in New Orleans are heard loud and clear through our voter registration programs. And we’re fighting for the dignity and safety of all folks through our sex work decriminalization and harm reduction programs.
We’re down, but by no means are we out of this fight. We, along with reproductive justice advocates across the country, have worked tirelessly hoping we would never see this day, but we’re prepared. As of today, abortion is still legal in Louisiana, but we know our future may look different and it will depend on people like you resourcing our movement and helping to ensure birthing people will be able travel to states where essential services are available, equipping folks with comprehensive sex education, and fighting our way through local, state, and federal government to regain the right to control our own bodies.
Please, take care of yourselves. We need you in this fight. And for those who are financially able, support reproductive justice organizations, especially those focused on serving southern, Black, and LGBTQ+ communities who will bear the brunt of this blow.
In solidarity,
Deon Haywood, Women with a Vision Executive Director
Associate Justice Samuel Alito’s leaked draft is explicit: “It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives.” In Louisiana, “the people’s elected representatives” put forth legislation to arrest pregnant people for murder.
On Wednesday, a Louisiana House committee advanced a bill that would criminalize people who have abortions. The outcome that conservatives swore up and down wouldn’t happen—We’re only punishing the doctors, not the patients!—is here. . . .
Late Tuesday night, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) filed an updated version of the Women’s Health Protection Act, a bill that would codify Roe v. Wade into federal law. The move is a last-minute attempt to protect abortion rights in the wake of a leaked Supreme Court draft opinion that revealed the high court is poised to overturn Roe.
The new version of the bill is the same as the old version ― except it does not include the legislative findings, a nonbinding part of a bill that gives important context and intentions regarding the proposed legislation. The findings that were cut from the new WHPA bill described in detail the history of abortion restrictions, the ways they’ve intersected with racism, classism and misogyny, and how bans like those now playing out at the state level disproportionately affect the most vulnerable. They’re the kind of thing that help establish the intent of a piece of legislation and can be pointed to later if there are court challenges. . . .
The leaked U.S. Supreme Court draft decision on Dobbs v. Jackson is no surprise to those who have been fighting for reproductive rights and health in Louisiana. Advocates have been working tirelessly to stave off this outcome for decades.
The draft decision is also no surprise to those working to eliminate the right to abortion in this state, as evidenced by Louisiana’s trigger law to ban abortion in the event that Roe v. Wade is overturned and its amendment stating that the Louisiana Constitution does not secure the right to abortion.
While these activists have been preparing for the moment when the constitutional right to abortion is struck down by pushing anti-abortion legislation at the state level, they have failed to prepare for the dire outcomes of denying people the abortions they will continue to seek. And for this reason, they have done us all a great disservice and unmasked their true motivations, which have nothing to do with the health of women, children and families. . . .
Meet on the steps across from Jackson Square
Co-Organized by DSA, FRSO, Real Name Campaign, CPUSA, and WWAV
This Wednesday, we are co-sponsoring “Reproductive Freedom Day at the Capitol”. This is a chance to show up with other folks who are fired up to turn their passion into action by showing up at the State House. Join 10,000 Women Louisiana, Lift Louisiana, Louisiana NOW, Louisiana Coalition for Reproductive Freedom, NOW Baton Rouge, Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast and Women With A Vision for a special “Women on Wednesday”. Registration is required. JOIN US!
Coloring and Cocktails for the Cause is a monthly happy hour where every donation comes with delightful coloring sheets created by Laura Sanders. Between the drink special and individual donations, last month they raised about $1,100 for the New Orleans Abortion Fund. This month, all proceeds will go to support WWAV’s fight for Reproductive Justice and Abortion Access.
WHEN: June 2, 5:30-7:30
WHERE: Twelve Mile Limit
Join Us!!
YAYA Senior Guild Artist Sophie Olexia-Daigle has created a collaboration between YAYA and WWAV. On May 13th at 6pm, YAYA will be hosting a raffle to benefit WWAV’s wide-ranging initiatives for health, environmental, and social equity for New Orleans’ women and their families. The one-of-a-kind artwork was contributed by YAYA Teens and Teaching Artists.
Tickets are $10, or $35 for a five-ticket bundle. Get yours HERE!
The State Legislature in Louisiana advanced a proposal this week that would classify abortion as homicide, going further than anti-abortion measures in other states by making it possible for prosecutors to bring criminal cases against women who end a pregnancy.
The measure was approved, 7 to 2, by a committee in the State House of Representatives, energized by a leaked draft of an opinion indicating that a majority of Supreme Court justices would vote in favor of overturning the constitutional right to abortion.
Still, supporters argued that the legislation should not hinge on the Supreme Court’s final decision. Instead, proponents are pushing for what they see as an urgent effort to halt access to abortion in Louisiana. The bill defines personhood as beginning from the moment of fertilization.
“No compromises,” the Rev. Brian Gunter, pastor of First Baptist Church in Livingston and a leading supporter of the bill, told lawmakers before they voted on Wednesday. “No more waiting.” . . .
WWAV is a proud Black RJ partner.
Our vision for abortion justice is grounded in radical liberaton, including racial, economic, and immigrant justice. We envision a world where each of us can live, work, and make decisions about our health with dignity.
Our work is grounded in two principles:
● Trust Black Women – Period
● Equity & Justice
Please click through for the full Black RJ talking points. . . .
The phones at the office of Women with a Vision were “ringing off the hook” when the staff at the New Orleans community health centre returned to their office on 3 May, the morning after a leaked draft opinion from the US Supreme Court signaled the end of constitutional protections for abortion access. “People were sending messages through social media: ‘Is it gone?’” director Deon Haywood told The Independent. The following day, a state legislative committee approved a bill to classify abortion as homicide, with language that criminalized fertility treatments, miscarriages and certain forms of birth control, and potentially sending patients to prison. . . .
Women with a Vision – which has defended abortion rights and sex workers in court while providing reproductive health assistance and advocacy from its office in Uptown New Orleans – is among abortion rights advocates in the state who have long expected the end of Roe, while watching the state fail to meet the needs of the people who live there. The group launched a billboard campaign (“ABORTION IS STILL LEGAL IN LOUISIANA!!!”) and plans to keep Plan B and contraceptives in stock, with a robust harm reduction outlook for a future in which legal abortion care is hundreds of miles away. “We want to keep it in your face and on people’s minds,” Ms Haywood told The Independent. “And we want people to know that abortion is not going away. It just won’t be as safe as we’d like it to be.” . . .
At Women With A Vision (WWAV), we have been working to realize the Black feminist vision for Reproductive Justice for more than 30 years. And still it knocked the wind out of us when news broke of the leaked draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson, indicating that the U.S. Supreme Court could overturn the constitutional right to abortion. Abortion is still legal!! But if this decision stands, it will mean the end of abortion care in Louisiana, one of the poorest states in the nation with some of the worst outcomes for birthing people. We also know that in Louisiana and nationwide we are not ready for the massive escalations in criminalization that are coming.
Please click through for our full Abortion Justice points. . . .
Today the Supreme Court chose to strip more than half the country of an essential civil right. I’m heartbroken. I am angry. But by no means am I surprised.
This nation has a long history of using moral crusades to advance white supremacy, patriarchy, and criminalization – most recently through the War on Drugs. And just like that misbegotten war, today’s ruling will create desperation in poor and Black and Brown communities, elected leaders will criminalize behavior that results from that desperation, and the social fabric of our communities will be forever altered. And like the War on Drugs first devastated Black communities, before ripping through the rest of the nation with calamitous effects, so too will today’s ruling.
I want you to know that reproductive justice advocates around the country have been preparing for this moment, and while we’re scared and angry too, we know that together, we keep us safe.
Here’s what you can do right now:
- Breathe. The fight for our ultimate liberation is a long one. We need each and every one of you well. Self care is about our survival.
- Make a plan. In times of crisis, it’s essential we practice harm reduction. Birth control is harm reduction. Talk to your doctor about birth control options. If you don’t have a primary care physician make an appointment at CrescentCare or Planned Parenthood. Abortion is still legal in parts of the country, but resources to help get birthing people to those places will be stretched thin and taking time off of work and obtaining the childcare necessary for many people to access abortion may be near impossible for those most in need.
- Talk to your loved ones. Just hours after the Supreme Court draft opinion was leaked, our elected leaders started drafting new ways to criminalize those in need of abortion care and those working to help secure abortion care for others. Over 30 years ago during the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis, people were targeted by law enforcement simply for possessing harm reduction supplies like syringes and condoms. We’ve been here before. To combat this latest wave of criminalization, it’s essential we all become educators and organizers. Talk to your friends about family planning and encourage them to make a plan in case of unwanted pregnancy.
- If you’re financially able, support your local abortion fund. Organizations like the New Orleans Abortion Fund have been helping birthing folks secure abortion care for decades, and they’ve done it on lean budgets. Now they’re being called to not only help cover the cost of abortion care, but out-of-state travel costs and more all the while fighting to protect their right to share indispensable knowledge and resources.
- Reach out. We at Women with a Vision will continue advocating for the bodily autonomy and ultimate liberation of Black women and birthing people, poor folks, and the LGBTQ+ community. We’re here for you. We can help with Medicaid enrollment, emergency contraception, and more. Call our offices at (504) 301-0428.
Remember, we are our greatest asset. We are our greatest hope. We are the ones who will protect us.
In solidarity,
Deon Haywood, Women with a Vision Executive Director
The United States Supreme Court issued a decision on Friday that overturns the federally protected right to abortion, triggering a Louisiana law that criminalizes the procedure and mandates jail time for anyone who performs it. But with local leaders in New Orleans speaking out against the ruling, and a district attorney that has said he will not “shift priority” to prosecuting individuals for abortion, it is unclear to what degree the law will be enforced in the city.
As of July 13th, President Biden had take the following executive actions to protect reproductive rights:
- The President’s Executive Order Protecting Access to Reproductive Health Services: On 7/8/22, the President issued an Executive Order outlining actions to safeguard access to reproductive health care services, including abortion and contraception; protect the privacy of patients and their access to accurate information; promote the safety and security of patients, providers, and clinics; and coordinate the implementation of Federal efforts.
- Guidance to Retail Pharmacies: On 7/13/22, HHS issued guidance to roughly 60,000 U.S. retail pharmacies to remind them of their obligations under federal civil rights laws to ensure access to comprehensive reproductive health care services. The guidance makes clear that as recipients of federal financial assistance, pharmacies are prohibited under law from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, and disability in their programs and activities. This includes supplying medications; making determinations regarding the suitability of a prescribed medication for a patient; and advising patients about medications and how to take them.
- Protecting Privacy and Sensitive Health Data
- The FTC: On 7/12/22, the FTC committed to fully enforcing the law against illegal use and sharing of highly sensitive data, including location and health information contained in fertility and period tracking data. The FTC urged companies to consider that sensitive data is protected by numerous state and federal laws, claims that data is “anonymous” are often deceptive, and the FTC has a track record of cracking down on companies that misuse consumer data.
- HHS: On 6/29/22, HHS issued guidance to address how the HIPAA Privacy Rule protects the privacy of individuals’ protected health information, including information related to reproductive health care. The guidance helps ensure doctors and other medical providers and health plans know that, with limited exceptions, they are not required – and in many cases, are not permitted – to disclose patients’ private information, including to law enforcement. HHS also issued a how-to guide for consumers on steps they can take to make sure they’re protecting their personal data on mobile apps.
- Protecting Emergency Medical Care: On 7/11/22, HHS issued guidance affirming that the Emergency Medical Treatment Active Labor Act (EMTALA) protects providers that offer abortion services in emergency situations. Secretary Becerra also issued a letter to providers making clear that federal law preempts state law restricting access to abortion in emergency situations.
- DOJ Reproductive Rights Task Force: On 7/12/22, the DOJ announced a Reproductive Rights Task Force, which will monitor and evaluate state and local actions that infringe on federal protections relating to the provision or pursuit of reproductive care, impair women’s ability to seek reproductive care where it’s legal, impair individuals’ ability to inform and counsel each other about the reproductive care that is available in other states, ban medication abortion, or impose criminal or civil liability on federal employees who provide legal reproductive health services.
- Defending the Right to Travel: On 6/24/22, President Biden reaffirmed the Attorney General’s statement that women must remain free to travel safely to another state to seek the care they need. President Biden committed his administration to defending “that bedrock right.”
- Calling for the Establishment of Abortion Rights into Federal Law: President Biden continues to call on Congress to codify the right to abortion into federal law. On 6/30/22, the President said he would support changing the filibuster rules to codify Roe v. Wade into law. On 7/12/22, the White House released Statements of Administration Policy on H.R. 8296 – Women’s Health Protection Act of 2022 and H.R. 8297 – Ensuring Access to Abortion Act of 2022.
- ReproductiveRights.gov: The Administration launched ReproductiveRights.gov, a website on people’s right to access reproductive health care, including birth control, abortion services, other preventive health services, and health insurance coverage.
CONTACT US
Hours: Monday – Friday | 10:00am – 4:00pm
Phone: 504.301.0428
Women With A Vision
1226 N. Broad Street
New Orleans, LA 70119
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