A New Landscape
As with many in our communities, we have been reeling since Friday’s Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade. While we understood that this decision was on the horizon, it is impossible to fully emotionally prepare for the reality; a reality in which the landscape of equity and opportunity in this country has shifted in a breathtakingly regressive way.
Two Piers is a purpose-driven organization. Our mission is underpinned by a deep belief that the world is a better place when we remove barriers impeding access to opportunity. Denying access to reproductive healthcare such as abortion stands in direct opposition to our mission and our values.
Current impact of the overturning of Roe v. Wade
We believe that allowing people to decide if and when to have a child is inherently tied to the fight for economic and racial justice. We know that restrictive abortion laws disproportionately impact communities of color and other underserved populations in a country that already has disparate health outcomes due to inadequate and unequal access to healthcare. One need look no further than the maternal mortality rates in the US to see the connection between reproductive care and race, with the maternal mortality rate being three times higher for Black people giving birth than white people. The health and wellbeing of trans and non-binary people are also gravely affected. With the undermining of a right to bodily autonomy and privacy, gender-affirming care is directly at risk. Reproductive justice and access to healthcare are issues that cut across all elements of the battle for equity and equality and communities that are already marginalized will suffer the most.
Future impact of the overturning of Roe v. Wade
Beyond the immediate and frightening impact, we can see a further erosion of rights on the horizon as a decision that finds no right to privacy implicitly (and explicitly within the concurrent opinions) puts many other landmark SCOTUS decisions as risk; any decision which also relies on a right to privacy is standing as a domino in a line:
Griswold v. Connecticut which granted a right to access contraceptives,
Obergefell v. Hodges which legalized same-sex marriage nationally,
Lawrence v. Texas which struck down anti-sodomy laws and legalized same-sex intimacy, and
Loving v. Virginia which struck down interracial marriage bans.
The impacts will be far-reaching, and will not be restrained by geographic or political boundaries. They will not be limited to women, they will not be limited to those with uteruses, they will not be limited to those in “red states.” Yet the fact that this decision will impact even the most privileged in our society is not what makes it important. History has shown clearly that undermining rights for marginalized groups inherently undermines rights for all, and we’ve known that reproductive rights have been restricted for portions of our country this entire time. This is not a new phenomenon - what’s new is that it’s now impacting broader swaths of our population.
And because this is not a new phenomenon, and because this is not a new fight, we must look to the people and organizations that have been working in this space for decades, and who have been preparing for this decision to arrive. Many of these organizations are, unsurprisingly, led by Black and Brown and queer women+.
Next steps and how you can help
So if you’re new to this fight, then welcome aboard, and please look to the organizations and activists that have been doing the work to understand how you can most effectively help. And to my fellow white women out there: many of us are feeling scared, we are feeling abandoned, and it can be tempting to center ourselves and our own pain in this moment. Please resist that urge. Remember that communities of color have been and will continue to be disproportionately impacted by these regressive policies and legal decisions. Elevate and amplify those voices. Ensure your activism is intersectional. Know that there are organizations and funds that understand the landscape, that are well versed in the risks, and who have processes and policies in place to protect and vet their members and volunteers.
If you are seeking an abortion and are currently living in an area with restrictive laws, please know that there are resources out there, and that there is also a lot of noise. Some individuals and organizations that are offering support are well-intentioned, but do not have proper vetting and safeguards in place. Others are not well-intentioned and are disguised as resources but will not actually assist in obtaining an abortion. If you find yourself in need of an abortion, websites such as ineedana.com and abortionfunds.org can help you find care and support, including financial resources.
If you’re looking to donate, we suggest National Network of Abortion Funds (abortionfunds.org) as they can distribute funds to a nationwide network of vetted organizations based on a inter-regional understanding of resources and demand.
Final thoughts - It's time to do your part
Our political system is flawed in many ways. Disenfranchisement is rife and our political processes often exclude many of our most vulnerable citizens. Exhortations to “go vote” often feel superficial because we know that just voting is not enough and it’s not accessible to many who face intentional barriers to their votes being cast. So, for all things political (and everything, including inaction is political), we see it as “vote AND.” Get involved locally. Contact your legislators by phone. If you need a one-stop shop, check out 5calls.org to find the phone numbers for your representatives.
And please, do not lose hope and do not give up. The fight for justice has never been an easy path. It has never been a linear trajectory. And it is still the path worth taking.