OCRCC Roe v. Wade Statement
The US Supreme Court’s vote to overturn Roe V. Wade is imminent. Overnight, abortion will become illegal in over half of the states of our country. Roe v. Wade has always been the floor, not the ceiling, for abortion access. Removing this federal protection may be one of the biggest public health crises of our lifetimes- which is saying a lot in 2022.
Abortion is healthcare. OCRCC supports all survivors’ right to access the healthcare that they determine is right for them. Regardless of changes to federal protection or state law, we commit to always helping survivors get what they need.
Over the next weeks and months, OCRCC will commit to sharing information about the unfolding attacks on public health and bodily autonomy with the following priorities:
- Reproductive Justice is Bigger than Abortion: Even with federal protection, abortion access has never been equitable. But a reproductive justice lens goes way beyond issues of right and access: it includes Black maternal health and mortality, Medicaid expansion, universal Pre-K, ending state violence against Black bodies, ending family separation at the border, gender-affirming healthcare, and so much more. It encompasses movements for voting rights, racial justice, violence prevention, and queer and trans liberation. We will center the perspectives of those fighting for the totality of reproductive justice.
- Action over Despair: This is the time to get involved. We will share groups to follow for action updates and alerts, information on how to find and support your local abortion fund, how to help clinics do what they do, and how to show up for one another with compassion and respect for the trauma this chapter of our history will bring up for folks. We’ll also share information about how and where abortion is showing up at the ballot box.
- Focus on Resources: People who can get pregnant have immediate resource and information needs, and we will be sure to share information about where to go for questions about legal issues, financial support, locating and accessing abortion care, medical abortion, etc.