Plus: The anti-abortion blueprint for how Trump could ‘end abortion in every state’
Here’s another edition of Hard to Believe It’s Only Tuesday, a weekly roundup of the top headlines, tweets, toks, takes, and more in abortion news. You can always email me (andrea.grimes@gmail.com, or grimesandrea@proton.me for more sensitive inquiries) or DM me on instagram with action items, takes, and news clips. This post is probably too long for email, so click the headline above or head to the HTBIOT page to get the full read in your browser, because you don’t want to miss this week’s Goodnight and Good Dunk!
The big takeaway:It’s the 51st anniversary (or would be) of Roe v. Wade, which coincides with the annual celebration of forced birth fuckery that is the March For Life, because it has not yet occurred to these people that the option to stay home and mind their own business is always available to them. This year’s theme was “with every woman, for every child” which is an A24 horror film tagline if ever I heard one.
The overall vibe seems to be that the rally was less ~ fired up ~ than usual. Just about every reporter managed to observe that it was cold and snowy, as if this is some kind of statement about the passion (or lack thereof) of anti-abortion marchers. (This march is always in January, when the weather sucks?) The upshot of the dozen or so pieces I read is that the anti-abortion movement does not intend to stop pushing for abortion bans, and since that is the plan, they intend to distract the public with calls to increase public funding for anti-abortion pregnancy centers (which are basically money laundering schemes for evangelical churches, right-wing politicians, and other anti-abortion machinators).
Instead of going all in on linking to March for Life coverage, I’ve focused instead on sharing some thoughtful looks at what abortion rights and repro justice advocates are facing and fighting for this year.
“She filed a complaint after being denied an abortion. The government shut her down.” (WaPo) — ‘The government’ in this headline refers to the Biden Administration. Biden officials told Oklahoma woman Jaci Statton — who was facing a life-threatening pregnancy when a hospital told her to wait in the parking lot until she was closer to death — that the hospital didn’t violate the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act.
Via Steph Herold, new research from ANSIRH shows “exposure to medically accurate TV abortion plotlines was associated with increased abortion knowledge & increased willingness to support someone seeking an abortion.”
Repro justice advocates from Sister Song, Abortion On Our Own Terms, Physicians for Reproductive Health, Feminist Women’s Health Center participated with a powerful group of abortion storytellers and advocates in “Destigmatize the Dialogue,” a wide-ranging and moving roundtable hosted by Chrissy Teigen. Watch:
The Tweets/Toks/Grams
This is just a really neat abortion history thread showing the racial and ideological diversity of the pre-Roe pro-abortion movement from We Testify’s Renee Bracey Sherman:
If you’ve been there, you’ve been there. A powerful statement of support for self-managed care, from abortion doula @Ash_Bash23:
🍑 💻 Atlanta and Online: The SPARK Organizing Intensive for repro rights and justice is this Saturday, January 27. Details here.
💻 Online: The Birthworkers of Color Collective is offering an eight-hour virtual abortion doula training on Sunday, February 4. Register here.
⚖️ Anywhere: The Center for Reproductive Rightshas launched an interactive online resource looking at “the current status of abortion rights through state court constitutional decisions.”
🎧 Anywhere: Listen to the Support Unseen podcast from Ibis Reproductive Health and All-Options, about “the perspectives of non-medical abortion support providers who give emotional, informational, and logistical support to those seeking abortions.”
💻 Online: The Midwest Access Project‘s “Self-Managed Abortion Support & Advocacy” workshop is Thursday, February 22. Register here.
⚖️ Online, for lawyerfolk: Join If/When/How and the Birth Rights Bar Association for a CLE-eligible virtual training series on birth justice beginning Wednesday, January 24th.
🥂 Iowa City: The Emma Goldman Clinic’s2024 Choice event is Saturday, February 3, featuring Roxane Gay.
🥂 The Carolinas: The Carolina Abortion Fund’s second annual gala is Saturday, February 3, 2024.
🥂 Dallas: Join Jane’s Due Process for a celebration in Dallas on Tuesday, February 20 featuring Dr. Ghazaleh Moayedi and drag performances by Cynthia Lee Fontaine and Barbie Davenport Dupree!
🔬 Anywhere, for abortion fundleaders: Participate in a UCSF study!
🦺 St. Louis area: Illinois’ Hope Clinic is looking for clinic escorts. Here’s how to learn more.
🚗 Kentucky: The Kentucky Health Justice Network is looking for volunteer drivers and case managers. Here’s where to sign up.
📱 North Texas: The Texas Equal Access Fund is looking for bilingual Spanish-speaking volunteers for their text line. Here’s where to sign up.
🤠 Texas: Local teen-friendly businesses in in Bryan, College Station, Lubbock, or San Angelo can become pickup spots for repro kits assembled by Jane’s Due Process. Here’s the application form.
⛰️ Southwestern Virginia and Appalachia: The New River Abortion Access Fund is looking for volunteers.
🗳️ Anywhere, U.S.: Hey Jane x Vote America helps prep voters to support pro-abortion policies and candidates
💸 From your wallet:
The IPPF and the Palestinian Family Planning Association are attempting to provide care for tens of thousands of pregnant people in Gaza; learn more here and donate/spread the word.
Buy something off the wishlist of an independent clinic, abortion fund, or clinic defense group, or donate to support abortion funds. This link distributes your donation to 90+ funds around the country. Or donate to support independent abortion providers.
Abortions Welcome is a “pro-choice spiritual companion for use before, during, and after abortion.”
Want to become a practical support volunteer helping folks access abortion? Read this essential FAQ from Apiary first.
📚 Research:
Here’s If/When/How‘s new report on the criminalization of self-managed abortion between 2000-2020.
New research from Pregnancy Justice looks at the data behind rising criminalization of pregnancy.
Here’s new research from Gynuity on the safety and effectiveness of misoprostol-only medication abortion.
Read Dr. Autumn Asher BlackDeer’sreport, “Towards an Indigenous Reproductive Justice: Examining Attitudes on Abortion among American Indian and Alaska Native Communities.”
Here’s new research on abortion access for incarcerated folks.
Goodnight and good dunk — The Cut’s Laura Bassett notes that the GOP’s “supporting pregnant and parenting women and families act” is anything but:
That’s all for this week. I’m sure I’ve missed something you’d like to see featured in this roundup, for I am but one woman with a computer and an abortion-news-induced drinking problem. Holler at me — andrea.grimes@gmail.com or grimesandrea@proton.me for more sensitive inquiries, or DM me on Instagram, and I’ll try to add follow-ups as I’m able.
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