By Maggie Singer
To fight back against the Supreme Court’s ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, we can promote and distribute abortion pills and organize to help women travel to states where it’s still legal — but we can’t stop there. We need to describe and create the world we want, not just react to our opposition’s latest move. We demand not just basic bodily autonomy for women but liberation in all aspects of our lives. The right-wing Christian nationalists who’ve sought to ban abortion for the last 50 years aren’t satisfied with the Dobbs decision — they want abortion banned in all 50 states. They’re planning federal legislation if and when they take state power and seeking another Supreme Court ruling defining fetuses as people.
We need to take these threats seriously and push back hard. The morality police have gone too far — let’s use this outrageous decision to get organized so we come out stronger in the end. A big majority of the population supports abortion rights but changing course doesn’t happen on its own — it needs your active participation. Struggles to decriminalize abortion succeeded in Mexico, Chile, Argentina and Ireland because of mass mobilization. January 20 and 21, 2023, pro-choice activists will be gathering to protest annual “march for life” events in Washington, DC, San Francisco and elsewhere where anti-abortion activists will be celebrating the overturning of Roe. See you there.
Beyond street protests, grassroots aid efforts are forming and ongoing. Poor and BIPOC communities are disproportionately impacted in states where abortion is now illegal, and so they need particular support.
Just because you live in a state where abortion is still currently legal doesn’t mean everything’s okay. As clinics have closed in dozens of states, the remaining clinics are dealing with overwhelming demand. Anti-abortion zealots are concentrating their threats and harassment on remaining clinics. Fake Pregnancy Resource Centers are stepping up efforts to spread confusion and misinformation to vulnerable women facing unplanned pregnancy. PRCs usually advertise free pregnancy tests and try to look like clinics by having ultrasound machines, staff in white coats and medical-sounding names. They are often located near real health centers. But because they aren’t real clinics, they don’t have to follow HIPAA to keep information private so they can pass their “patient” info along for future harassment.
Corporations are pouring money into PRCs, supported by state tax credits such as $3.5 million from Mississippi. Since PRCs are in almost every town coast-to-coast, they’re a prime target for direct action near you.
Justice Thomas’ concurrence in Dobbs questioned three cases (Griswold, Lawrence, and Obergefell) that legalized birth control, overturned sodomy laws and legalized same-sex marriage. Right-wing fanatics want to turn back the clock on the most personal and intimate subjects for millions of people, so we need to mobilize beyond just abortion rights.
Do you need an abortion?
Only 1 in 3 American know that if you’re 11 weeks pregnant or less, you can take pills to have a safe, medical abortion – Plan C. Either Misoprostol alone or both mifepristone and misoprostol. Depending on how far along you are in your pregnancy, the abortion pill is 87-98% effective.
If it has been more than 11 weeks since the first day of your last period, you can have an in-clinic abortion to end your pregnancy.
While this list is far from complete, here are some national (US) resources that provide Plan C and/or in-clinic abortions:
• AidAccess – a bilingual website that provides online consultations to access an at-home abortion. aidaccess.org
• Bedsider Birth Control Support Network – information on birth control, sexual wellness, and abortion. bedsider.org
• Handbook for a Post-Roe America – along with a printed handbook you can order, this site also has a national map that lists local clinics, reproductive justice and rights groups, practical support and abortion funding groups. postroehandbook.com
• Indigenous Women Rising Abortion Fund – specifically for Indigenous/Native American people in the US and Canada airtable.com/shrLw8oy9UTIPkpXv
• I Need An A – connects individuals to reproductive resources with an emphasis on privacy. ineedana.com
• National Abortion Federation – a directory of providers and funding. prochoice.org 1-800-772-9100
• National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice – serving Latina/x individuals seeking reproductive healthcare. act.latinainstitute.org
• National Network of Abortion Funds – connects people to clinics and funding. abortionfunds.org
• Plan C Pills – provides information and a national (US) directory of where to find abortion pills. plancpills.com
• Planned Parenthood – the nation’s largest women’s healthcare provider. Provides pregnancy and STI testing, counseling, and reproductive healthcare for men and women. Plannedparenthood.org 1-800-230-PLAN
Abortion funds in the American South:
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Tennessee: ARC Southeast arc-southeast.org (855) 227-2475
Arkansas: Arkansas Abortion Support Network www.arabortionsupport.org
Kentucky: A Fund, Inc. kyafund.org kyafund@gmail.com
Louisiana: New Orleans Abortion Fund Neworleansabortionfund 844.44.abort
North and South Carolina: Carolina Abortion Fund carolinaabortionfund.org
Oklahoma: Roe Fund roefund.org (918) 481-6444 okrcrc@gmail.com
Texas: Avow and Lilith Fund needabortion.org
Virginia: Blue Ridge Abortion Fund blueridgeabortionfund.org 434-963-0669
West Virginia: Holler Health Justice hollerhealthjustice.org 833-465-5379