On Friday morning, June 24th, we all heard the news that The Supreme Court of the United States overturned Roe v. Wade, upon releasing their official decision on Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization. This decision upended 5 decades of protections for the reproductive freedom of millions of individuals across the country. There is no constitutional right to abortion and the legality of abortion will now be up to each state. While this decision was not unexpected, it was deeply upsetting and destabilizing.
While abortion is still legal in the majority of the states, abortion care will be increasingly illegal in more than half of the country in the coming weeks and months. The impact of this decision will disproportionally impact marginalized people including Black Indigenous folks, who have statically higher maternal mortality and morbidity rates. It will impact poor and disadvantaged folks, trans and GNC folk, and those who have experienced sexual violence, and will lead to desperation, health complications, and deaths.
The overturning of Roe v. Wade is not only a roll back on reproductive freedom, but is a roll back on the right to privacy, consent and bodily autonomy, and opens the door for more of our liberties to be up for question and reversal. This is an unprecedented time and we must mourn and channel our anger into action.
We at Mama Glow hold the position that all people have a right to patient privacy and autonomy over their own bodies. Every person should be free to choose when and if they decide to become a parent and how. Every person should have the right and the ability to access safe, respectful, affordable and patient centered care, when they need it. The context and extent of their care should be kept private and remain within the physician and patient relationship.
Right now, our focus is on our community, and providing you with the support you need as you navigate this time. We met Governor Kathy Hochul last week and in addition to discussing her plans to improve maternal health outcomes across New York State, she also addressed her commitment to ensuring New York remains a safe haven for those seeking to access abortions. She recently signed six nation-leading bills to ensure that New York expands abortion services and strengthens legal protections for both providers and individuals. New York is in position to shore up support for those traveling across state lines for the procedure as well.
At Mama Glow our doulas serve along the reproductive continuum, serving people during fertility, pregnancy and birth as well as supporting people through abortion and loss. We stand in the gap as non-judgmental presence of support. And now more than ever, doulas are needed.
As someone who is committed to reproductive justice and who serves alongside individuals at various stages in their reproductive journeys, I can tell you that there is not a certain type of person who seeks an abortion, it’s every single one of us, depending on where are in our lives.
We at Mama Glow will always stand for reproductive justice because reproductive rights don’t start & end with abortion. When we look at the entire reproductive continuum through the lens of reproductive justice we realize that our bodies are legislated against at every stage. The same people that are fighting to prevent abortion access are fighting to keep resources from us like: universal health care, education, affordable housing, green space, paid leave, healthy food, & instead are invested in hoarding resources, the militarization of the police, incarceration & control of our bodies.
As we march and protest, please remember we are mighty, we are resourced and we have solutions. We can and will make a difference to impact the lives of others in need. We are ready to serve our communities.
Please dive into the resources below to learn more about abortion funds and reproductive justice networks, abortion pills, virtual abortion support, and state-by-state resources (focused on the states where abortion is at risk or banned and states where abortion is not legally protected).
Resources:
General resources for abortion and reproductive justice work
- Abortion Funds – National network of abortion funds
- Apiary- Operational, programmatic, community and logistical support for people getting abortions.
- Brigid Alliance – A referral-based service that provides people seeking abortions with travel, food, lodging, child care and other logistical support.
- Holler Health Justice – A BIPOC and queer led reproductive justice organization servicing communities in Appalachia
- Indigenous Women Rising – Indigenous led reproductive justice organization and abortion fund.
- Ineedana – find local & verified abortion providers, funding & support organizations, and laws.
- Keep Our Clinics – The campaign provides funding to independent clinics to cover expenses like increased security, legal fees, and community education and advocacy.
- National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda
- New Voices for Reproductive Justice – health and well-being of Black women and girls through leadership development, Human Rights and Reproductive Justice.
Abortion Pills
These organizations and companies are providing education and access to safe and effective abortion pills.
Virtual Abortion Care
The virtual clinic model provides care that is private, safe, supportive, accessible, and convenient.
Resources by State
Abortion funds and resources in states where abortion is at risk or banned.
- Alabama: Yellowhammer Fund, Access Reproductive Care-Southeast
- Arizona: Abortion Fund of Arizona, Tuscon Abortion Support Collective
- Arkansas: Arkansas Abortion Support Network
- Florida: Florida Access Network, Access Reproductive Care-Southeast
- Georgia: Access Reproductive Care-Southeast
- Idaho: Northwest Abortion Access Fund
- Indiana: All-Options Hoosier Abortion Fund
- Iowa: Iowa Abortion Access Fund
- Kentucky: Kentucky Health Justice Network, A Fund, Inc.
- Louisiana: New Orleans Abortion Fund
- Michigan: Fountain Street Church Choice Fund, Reclaim MI WIN Fund
- Mississippi: Mississippi Reproductive Freedom Fund, Access Reproductive Care-Southeast
- Missouri: Missouri Abortion Fund
- Montana: Susan Wickland Fund
- Nebraska: Abortion Access Fund – Bellevue, NE
- North Dakota: North Dakota Women in Need Abortion Access Fund
- Ohio: Preterm Access Fund, Women Have Options – Ohio
- Oklahoma: Roe Fund
- South Carolina: Carolina Abortion Fund, Access Reproductive Care-Southeast
- South Dakota: South Dakota Access for Every Woman
- Tennessee: Abortion Care Tennessee, Access Reproductive Care-Southeast
- Texas: Fund Texas Choice, West Fund, Texas Equal Access Fund, Stigma Relief Fund, Clinic Access Support Network, Lilith Fund, SYS (Support your Sistah), The Bridge Collective, Jane’s Due Process, Buckle Bunnies Fund
- Utah: Utah Abortion Fund
- Virginia: Richmond Reproductive Freedom Project, Blue Ridge Abortion Fund, DC Abortion Fund – VA, Stigma Relief Fund – VA
- West Virginia: Women’s Health Center of West Virginia Choice Fund, Holler Health Justice
- Wisconsin: Women’s Medical Fund
- Wyoming: Chelsea’s Fund
Abortion funds and states where abortion is accessible but will have no legal protection
- Kansas: Kansas Abortion Fund
- New Hampshire: Reproductive Freedom Fund of New Hampshire
- New Mexico: New Mexico Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, West Fund NM, Mariposa Fund, Indigenous Women Rising
- Pennsylvania: Women’s Medical Fund, Western Pennsylvania Fund for Choice
Please share this with others in your network that may need the resources.
