Special guest blog by Jaye McBride
Abortion rights aren’t free, ya know!
Yesterday was a pretty crazy day here at LPJL. Lizz was in Mississippi, battling anti-abortion assholes at the amazing clinic (and still the only clinic in MS) known as the Pink House. I was in Albany, NY as the assembly introduced the Reproductive Health Act which would bring New York’s archaic abortion laws into the 21st century. It passed later that night, fortunately! But while driving back, I couldn’t help but think about how absurd it was that New York- NEW YORK, a state so blue, it shits Bernie bumper stickers still had this old laws on the books, leaving women unprotected in the event that Roe is overturned.
Here’s a link to run down why the laws needed to be changed but in a nutshell, it was still defined in the criminal code, not as a medical procedure. Also, it left women with later pregnancies vulnerable if the fetus wasn’t viable or their life was in danger. It was old. It needed that shag carpet and pleather couch gone and replaced some style, which we did.
Yes, it came at a personal price. I slipped on an icy sidewalk, cut two of my knuckles and sprained a third and, to add insult to injury, had a car of anti-choicers pull over at exactly that moment to ask me where the “pro-life” rally was.
Back to my original point, how is it that New York still had these laws? Because we got lazy. We thought that ‘We’ll be safe in New York’ or ‘Roe will be here forever’ so we consistently let Republicans control the state Senate and RHA never had a chance. It’s also why it took so long for bills like GENDA, which protects trans people, from getting passed.
So, if you do nothing else, remember the importance of voting in every election and work to make sure your local representatives are working for you. Also, don’t wear shitty boots on the ice in Albany or your hands will look like you pulled them out of a bear trap.
