47 years. Nearly half a century.
That’s how long it’s been since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Roe v. Wade, the landmark case – decided on January 22, 1973 – that affirmed a pregnant person’s right to legally obtain an abortion.
It’s hard to believe we are still fighting for this key human right – the right to choose whether and when to have children – two decades into the 21st Century.
The reason we’re still fighting is clear – over the past few years we’ve seen a shocking uptick in attacks on abortion rights. From the shameful appointment of anti-abortion Justice Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, to the Trump Administration’s stacking of federal courts with anti-abortion judges, to state legislatures across the country pushing unconstitutional abortion bans, it is a chilling and infuriating time for supporters of reproductive freedom.
Yet, even at times like these – maybe especially at times like these! – it’s important to remember how far we’ve come, to celebrate the people who got us here, and to cheer the things we’ve still managed to accomplish!
In Seattle, a diverse crowd of Planned Parenthood supporters came together to commemorate the 47th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. The night’s keynote was delivered by Ericka Hart, a sexuality educator, speaker, and host of the podcast Hoodrat to Headwrap. You may recall Hart as one of the speakers at the 2017 Women’s March in Philadelphia, where they spoke about inclusivity and trans rights.
PPGNHI Events Manager Grace Weil said of the event “We were thrilled to host Ericka for this critical conversation around racism and heteronormativity – in the field of sexual health, and in health care more broadly. We must shine a light on the connections between systems of oppression as we're shifting the conversation about abortion and reproductive health care – Ericka helped to shine that light.”
It’s exciting to see generations, young and old, coming together and taking up the work of activism and allyship. And it’s exciting to see our movement progress. We are embracing change and challenging ourselves as we become stronger each year, while using our strength to stand up for our hard-won rights! Support from people like you has given Planned Parenthood the power to protect abortion rights across the country by fighting back against state-level abortion bans – and stopping them in court – while working to restore access to abortion in places that have some of the harshest restrictions.
However you marked the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision, I hope you know how important your support of Planned Parenthood continues to be in protecting reproductive freedom and ensuring the rights of all people to control their own bodies.
Let’s look forward to celebrating future “Roe” anniversaries in which we are able to point to these past battles as solidly in the past, and confidently say that the right to choose is secure for all people – present and future.
Tags: Abortion, Roe v. Wade