Dems Convene in Chicago For ‘Hellish Abortion Rituals’

Andrea Grimes
12–18 minutes

Plus: Arkansas Supreme Court blocks pro-abortion amendment vote, because democracy.

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!

Photo by Victoria Pickering via Flickr/Creative Commons

The big takeaway: The Democratic National Abortion Convention seems to have sent Team Trump-Vance into full panic mode. Pre-DNC, Trump lied to CBS, claiming he won’t enforce the Comstock Act to ban medication abortion if he’s elected. When those claims got (predictably) drowned out by the DNC’s all-in abortion programming, he had a meltdown over at TruthSocial, his personal propaganda corner for bold smart boys, posting on Friday that his administration will be “great for women and their reproductive rights.” The GOP then deployed JD Vance, who fantasizes about tracking strangers’ menstrual cycles, to try to convince the public that Trump would not sign a national abortion ban.

What does it all mean!? Nothing more than that the Republican abortion kayfabe continues apace. Vance’s nonsense about Trump refusing to sign a federal abortion ban is particularly dippy. Let’s get into it:

  • This whole ~ re-messaging ~ attempt is loser vibes.
  • Obviously Vance is lying; Trump would enthusiastically sign federal legislation banning abortion.
  • But the GOP knows that, whatever happens in November, Congress is unlikely to pass and send a federal abortion ban to Trump 2.0’s desk anyway. Bold promise to assure the public you won’t sign a thing you know will never exist in the first place!
  • And the GOP also knows that Trump can use Comstock to ban abortion without federal legislation if he wins in November.
  • Which he will do, because that is precisely what his Heritage Foundation/Federalist Society puppeteers will have put him in office to do.

Elizabeth Warren was not falling for Vance’s fuckery, and suggested that women wouldn’t either. I tend to agree. The better question is whether anti-abortion voters will fall for it — will single-issue forced-birthers sour on Trump/Vance as the GOP works to convince the public that the man who prides himself on overturning Roe is actually very okay with abortion, actually? I think not. The reason you see these little play-fights in the news between Trump/Vance and the anti-abortion movement is in part so that anti-abortion movement leaders can signal to their supporters that Trump is not in charge, the antis are still running the show, and they’re going to get what they want as soon as their little pageant pays off.

Anti-abortion organizers are extremely savvy about this stuff, and their base is, too. Live Action’s Lila Rose told Politico as much: they know this stuff takes public compromise to get the actual policy in the back door.

And: As Daddy Trump has said again and again, and we all believe him, Republicans have one abortion policy and one abortion policy alone: leaving abortion up to the states, as a states’ rights issue, to be decided by the states and state voters, and by no one else. Because they love democracy and freedom, and leaving abortion up to the states. That’s why the Republican-dominated Arkansas Supreme Court ruled late last week that Republican, anti-abortion Secretary of State John Thurston’s made-up rules about paperwork should keep voters from weighing in on an abortion-rights amendment this November. (If I can find a silver lining, it’s this: if the GOP is so terrified of pro-abortion voters in Arkansas that they’ll go to these lengths to block a popular vote on abortion rights, they believe they’re much closer to losing not just the presidency, but down-ballot and state races, than I previously thought.)

Anyway! On to our usual 😈 hellish abortion rituals 😈.

The Top Headlines

The Takes

  • Repro reporter Amy Littlefield is in The Nation making the case for Democrats to go in on abortion rights and access beyond “restoring” Roe: “… now feels like the moment to dream. The compromising, apologetic approach to abortion rights has brought us to this moment of profound loss.”
  • Harvard sophomore Jasmine Wynn is in Rewire News calling on Dems and the Harris campaign to go beyond the bare minimum on repro: “Harris’ campaign should stress the importance of reproductive health-care access beyond the bare minimum of preventing a federal ban on abortion. She must campaign unapologetically for the active subsidization, legalization, and protection of abortion care. She must incentivize educational institutions in abortion-restrictive states to give resources to students to get the health care they need.”
  • States Newsroom talks to Chris Love, spokesperson for the Arizona for Abortion Access ballot initiative. Says Love: “Abortion is the right that was basically stripped by the Dobbs decision. Abortion is the right that we’re fighting for in this initiative. And I think we need to be clear about that. Abortion is a medical procedure. It’s not a dirty word. We don’t need to whisper it. You’re using a medically accurate, scientific term. And there’s nothing wrong with that.”
  • Famous funny man Larry David is in the Washington Post doing … something? I genuinely don’t know what to make of this thing. Y’all tell me!

The Tweets/Toks/Skeets/Grams

The Fuck Are We Supposed to Do About It?

  • 👕 SWAG OF THE WEEK! 👕
  • 💸 Anywhere: The Buckle Bunnies Fund needs to restock their pregnancy tests and tabling supplies — buy ’em something from their wishlist?
  • 👨🏾‍💻 Anywhere: Join Reproaction‘s webinar, “Project 2025, Abortion Access and Beyond,” this Wednesday, August 28.
  • 👨🏾‍💻 Anywhere: Join abortion funds supporting folks in the Deep South for a webinar on their work this Thursday, August 29.
  • 💬 Anywhere, for Black folks: The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Reproductive Equity Action Lab is “inviting Black people capable of pregnancy to participate in a confidential interview” to “learn more about your decision-making related to abortion care.” Here’s more info.
  • 🎸 McAllen, TX: The Frontera Fund‘s “Justicia: A Hardcore Show for Abortion” is Saturday, September 7th.
  • 🕺🏽Washington, D.C.: The DC Abortion Fund‘s election season dance party is Friday, September 13 at Songbyrd Music House.
  • 🍹 Austin, TX: The Lilith Fund‘s fall shindig features local makers donating proceeds to the abortion fund, plus drinks, a DJ, and a raffle. It’s Sunday, September 15.
  • 🧺 Houston: The I’ll Have What She’s Having fall picnic supporting repro care for food + beverage industry employees is Sunday, September 15.
  • 🍹 Chicago: The Midwest Access Project‘s fall fundraiser is Wednesday, September 25 at Guild Row. Apps and an open bar!
  • 👻 Denton/DFW: The TEA Fund‘s “Haunted Hotties Showcase” is Saturday, October 26 at Dan’s Silverleaf in Denton.
  • 🦺 St. Louis area: Illinois’ Hope Clinic is looking for clinic escorts. Here’s how to learn more.
  • 🐝 Anywhere: The “Pollination Station,” Apiary Practical Support‘s volunteer training series, is now taking applications.
  • 🚗 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 $1 Million for Black RJ campaign is live through August 31! Donate here.
    • Donate to keep the West Alabama Women’s Center’s doors open so they can provide gender-affirming care, repro care, pre- and post-natal care, miscarriage management, and much more, or donate to help pay their insurance bill.
    • Buy a wishlist item for the Yellowhammer Fund‘s Repro Raven bus.
    • 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.
    • Donate to rebuild Affirmative Care Solutions, the Illinois clinic attacked by an anti-abortion extremist who drove his car through the front of the building.
    • Here’s the verified crowdfunding page for “Ashley,” the 13-year-old mother who was denied abortion care in Mississippi and profiled in TIME magazine.
    • Donate to support the Austin Women’s Health Center and their essential repro health services, including miscarriage management and abortion referrals.
    • Donate $$ and pads to Just the Pill’s mobile clinic.
    • Here’s the verified crowdfunding page for the family of Samara, a 17-year-old in San Antonio and Buckle Bunnies Fund patient who died from repro health complications.
    • The Valley Abortion Group is a new all-trimester abortion facility fundraising to open in New Mexico — donate to the GoFundMe.
    • Donate to the Online Abortion Resource Squad, which supports the R/Abortion subreddit 24/7/365.
    • Donate to Elevated Access, which transports folks for abortion and gender-affirming care.
    • Donate to ensure Desert Star Family Planning in Phoenix can keep providing essential abortion care to folks in the Southwest.
    • Find your local abortion fund and donate.
    • 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.

Goodnight and good dunk — The ridiculous mainstream/legacy fact-checks (“fact-checks,” perhaps) during the DNC are the gift that keep on giving, meme-wise. Here’s Coach Finstock on Bluesky:

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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