Given that multiple lawmakers across the country seem to be desperate to emulate the ruling elite of the Republic of Gilead this week, you may be looking for ways to help protect reproductive rights. Here are a few ideas:
Donations:
Access Reproductive Care – Southeast: Provides financial and logistical support for people in need of abortion care in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee.
Mississippi Reproductive Freedom Fund: According to the organization’s own website, the fund is run “by a dedicated group of volunteers. All of our leadership are low income and working class women of color and femmes dedicated to working toward reproductive justice. We strive to continue to be a representation of the people we serve.”
Donate to local abortion funds (more on volunteering for one below). You can find the one in your area on the National Network of Abortion Funds website. A few of the abortion funds across the states that have been in the news recently for their draconian anti-choice measures:
OH: Preterm and Women Have Options
KY: Kentucky Health Justice Network and A Fund, Inc.
At a national level, Planned Parenthood, NARAL and the ACLU continue to fight to protect the constitutional right to choose and to provide healthcare to people in need of abortion.
Protesting:
Stop the Ban protests are being organized across the country at noon on Tuesday, May 21st. A number of other protests are also organized nationally for the upcoming week. To find an event near you, visit stopthebans.org. For DC locals, the Tuesday 21st protest will be in front of the Supreme Court at noon.
Volunteering:
If you are a DC local and want to get involved personally, the DC Abortion Fund is an amazing, entirely volunteer-run organization, helping patients fund abortions and coordinating housing and escorts for patients travelling from out of town. Since DC is one of the very few places in the country without any abortion restrictions, a lot of patients come here from across the U.S. for their procedures. Some of the volunteering opportunities at DCAF include housing patients, escorting patients to/from their appointments, community outreach, fundraising, blog drafting. There are also a number of data management opportunities, in case someone else also finds data work exciting enough to pursue in their spare time. I’ve been volunteering with them since 2016 and can personally attest to how well-run the organization is and how important their work is.
There are similar abortion funds all over the U.S., for those living in other areas. You can find a list of funds in your area on the National Network of Abortion Funds website.
She Can Do It! 