It has been one week since we rallied on the steps of the Supreme Court while the Justices heard our case against Texas HB2. We are still so full of love and hope from that amazing day, and are thankful to everyone who came out!
(•_•)
<) )╯@WholeWomans
/ & @ReproRights(•_•)
( (> AT #SCOTUS
/(•_•)
<) )> TODAY
/ #StopTheSham #HB2— 🐊 from the river to the sea 🐊 (@tejanitx) March 2, 2016
We’ve been saying all along that while HB2 started in Texas, it has national implications. We know this from the 40+ amicas briefs submitted to support our cause, that ranged from personal stories and statements from municipalities and leading medical organizations. We know this from the stories we hear in our clinics every day, the callers who try all they might – end up falling through the cracks.
We especially saw the national implications leading up to the oral arguments as the Fifth Circuit court of appeals upheld the same admitting privileges law in Louisiana, shuttering all but one clinic. And most recently we know this from the news that Google searches for self-abortion have skyrocketed in the past years, as TRAP restrictions have increased across the country.
It was nothing short of unreal to have the Supreme Court Justices discuss the merits of our case against Texas. They asked pointed questions showing recognition of the injustice many Texans now face because of their status and zip code.
We were also given hope that they understood our plight – the plight of abortion providers who are hanging on by a thread, jumping through every harmful, medically unnecessary, state-mandated hoop, just to stay open and to provide care.
We also silently cheered as the justices grilled Texas Solicitor General Scott Keller, Esq., on what seemed to be on behalf of every woman and person ever scorned by a TRAP law.
Regardless of these exchanges, we were confident that whatever game the Justices brought we’d be able to handle it because The Center for Reproductive Rights was on our side and we had Stephanie Toti defending us!
But, as much as we all wished to have been inside the Supreme Court during these arguments, to have basked in the glow of Justices RBG, Kagan, and Sotomayor, the vast majority of us were outside in what was clearly an equally life-giving event – the Rally to Protect Abortion Access!
For FOUR HOURS we joined some of the fiercest, most inspiring reproductive rights and justice advocates across the country and the awesomeness never. let. up.
"As a religious leader I believe everyone has the right to make their own moral decisions." @RevDebra #StopTheSham pic.twitter.com/mJl8NpQqj7
— Center for Reproductive Rights (@ReproRights) March 2, 2016
.@fullfrontalfem: "my abortion changed my life for the better." #StopTheSham #keepclinicsopen pic.twitter.com/y8PSyuAddD
— Reproductive Freedom for All (@reproforall) March 2, 2016
https://twitter.com/angeliqueroche/status/705056282231832576
"This is about US. HB 2 does nothing about women's health" Miriam Yeung @NAPAWF taking the stage now! #StopTheSham pic.twitter.com/wx4PGyxkyg
— Whole Woman's Health (@WholeWomans) March 2, 2016
"When politicians deny us access to abortion, they deny us the ability to follow our own faith." @NCJW #StopTheSham pic.twitter.com/tAqfSvh0tB
— Center for Reproductive Rights (@ReproRights) March 2, 2016
"We are here today to affirm that women have moral agency over their bodies." @TheAmyBrenneman #StopTheSham pic.twitter.com/CBLETlWth4
— Whole Woman's Health (@WholeWomans) March 2, 2016
"I am humbled by these women who have everything stacked against them." Marva Sadler speaking now! #StopTheSham pic.twitter.com/oDzUtYLJkr
— Whole Woman's Health (@WholeWomans) March 2, 2016
Thank you to each and every one of you here at the Supreme Court to #StopTheSham! 💜 pic.twitter.com/xij4T8kr5P
— Center for Reproductive Rights (@ReproRights) March 2, 2016
#WeWereThere w/sheroes @theNLHN @WholeWomans @ReproRights @PPact demand equal access 4 all @AmyHM @jgonzalez_rojas pic.twitter.com/6ccR7WUzEb
— Ilyse Hogue is @ilyseh everywhere (@ilyseh) March 3, 2016
Seeing @AmyHM take the stage #WeWereThere @nytimes pic.twitter.com/b97wNRhTDq
— Tammi Kromenaker, She/her (@TammiKromenaker) March 3, 2016
We stand here to affirm that women are good, kind. This is the world we will create together. –@AmyHM #StopTheSham pic.twitter.com/1cTzabJLpo
— National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice (@LatinaInstitute) March 2, 2016
.@NYTimes should have featured this pic of leaders @jgonzalez_rojas, @miriamyeung, & @monicarsimpson. #WeWereThere pic.twitter.com/9dK59RSjfF
— All* Above All (@AllAboveAll) March 3, 2016
Every time I see someone in @WholeWomans purple today I'm like "OMG YOU LOVE ABORTION ACCESS TOO!" then realize I'm not at #SCOTUS anymore
— Alison Turkos (@alisonturkos) March 3, 2016
The best way to SCOTUS is the @lpjleague way. #LPJLdoesSCOTUS #StopTheSham #AmyRepresents https://t.co/phCgCQFnkm pic.twitter.com/nteIXdf4Jm
— Abortion Access Front (@AbortionFront) March 2, 2016
We will keep saying what needs to be said and doing what needs to be done to celebrate women of color! #stopthesham pic.twitter.com/YShITp93hp
— SisterSong: National Women of Color RJ Collective (@SisterSong_WOC) March 3, 2016
More photos from the rally:
Below is the complete list of speakers:
- Angela Hooton @ReproRights
- Rt. Rev. Bishop Gene Robinson @BishopGRobinson
- MC Sadie Hernandez @SadieeeHdz
- Janice MacAvoy @ReproRights
- Taylor Crumpton @TaylorCrumpton @YP4
- Andrea Huth @MSFC
- Michelle Kinsey Bruns @ClinicEscort
- Monica Simpson @MonicaRSimpson
- Barbara Lee @RepBarbaraLee
- Dr. Valerie R. Peterson @EthanSpeaks1024
- Nik Worstell @URGEUC
- Rev. Dr. Debra Haffner @ReligiousInst
- Marva Sadler @WholeWomans
- Yamani Hernandez @yamyan @abortionfunds
- Richard Blumenthal @SenBlumenthal
- Susan Bevan @GOPChoice
- Patty Murray @PattyMurray
- Amanda Wiliams @fullfrontalfem @lillithfund
- Dr. Sara Imershein @SaraImersheinMD
- Liza Fuentes @Fuentes_Liza @TxPEPresearch
- Andrea Ferrigno @WholeWomans
- Stacey Long Simmons @StaceyRLong @TheTaskForce
- La’Tasha D. Mayes @BlackWomensRJ
- Heather Busby @NARALTX
- Dr. Pratima Gupta @ReproDocs
- Kierra Johnson @KierraDC @URGE_org
- Sonya Renee @SonyaReneePoet @RadicalBodyLove
- Dawn Porter @DawnPorterM @TrappedDoc
- Miriam Yeung @NAPAWF
- Alyssah Roth & TX URGE Organizers @WestFundTX
- Reesa Roberts, PA @TrinbagoGal71
- Tammi Kromenaker @TammiKromenaker
- Jessica González-Rojas @NLIRH
- OH State Rep. Teresa Fedor @Teresa_Fedor
- Dr. Bhavik Kumar @WholeWomans
- Rabbi Lori Koffman @NCJW
- Kayla & Brenda @PPact
- Amy Brenneman @TheAmyBrenneman
- Lucy Felix @LucyCFelix @NLIRH
- Dr. Willie Parker @ReproDocs
- Louise Melling @LibertyLouise @ACLU
- Marc Veasey @RepVeasey
- Nancy Northup @ReproRights
- Ilyse Hogue @NARAL
- Cecile Richards @CecileRichards @PPFA
- Amy Hagstrom Miller @AmyHM @WholeWomans
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If you missed the rally, or would like to watch it again, click here 🙂
Photo Credits: Lorie Shaull, @mikemorganfoto