It’s 2020! We can’t help but feel like this year is very significant and important but also we can’t mention why because we’re not supposed to comment on who you should vote for! So instead we’ll say: this year also is when the Supreme Court will hear one of the most important abortion cases since Roe. Well, they’re all important, but this one poses a significant test. Are the two new justices… gonna fuck us? WE DON’T ACTUALLY HAVE TO JUST WAIT AND SEE! We can take action now, because we want you all to resolve to make 2020 your year of activism! So here’s a little primer on how to get involved in 2020! Share with your friend who had a few tweets or Facebook statuses about abortion rights last year…. But who hasn’t fully committed to the #AbortionAF lifestyle!
- Stay Informed — Watch “Operation Save America”
We’ve spent the last weeks recapping the major stories, trends in anti-abortion laws, and more from last year. Read them here! Also, did you know we do a live show four days a week talking about the reproductive rights news NOT covered on MSNBC and CNN!? It’s called Operation Save Abortion and in 2020 we’re gonna have on some amazing guests, create some new explainer segments, and film really cool field pieces. So there will be no excuse for not knowing what’s going on!
- Support Indie Clinics
Planned Parenthood, we love ya! But independent clinics perform 58% of abortions! And average people don’t really know they exist! Just think about what this means. These owners decide that abortion access is such a necessity that they open their OWN independent offices! That’s incredible! But they need your help! If you’ve read the blog before, you know that we do a LOT to support clinics. That includes our TOUR where we visit cities with indie clinics and bring the party and support! We also have programs throughout the year where we send clinics postcards (because they get so much hate), offer clinics support for campaigns they are running, and adopt clinics for the holiday season. ALL of these are thing YOU TOO can get involved in! And if you want some extra points (or have been meaning to try it) make 2020 the year you become an escort in your community!
- LEARN WHAT REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE IS!
It’s 2020! Time to learn the difference between reproductive justice (RJ) and reproductive rights. Let our dear friend Dr. Monica McLemore explain, “Simply put, RJ posits that every person has the right to decide if and when to become pregnant and to determine the conditions under which they will birth. Next, every person has the right to decide they will not become pregnant or have a baby and options for preventing or ending pregnancy are accessible and available. Third, individuals have the right parent children they already have with dignity and has the necessary social supports in safe environments and health communities without fear of violence from individuals or the government. Finally, individuals have the right to disassociate sex from reproduction and that health sexuality and pleasure are essential components to whole and full human life.” Let’s all make a resolution in 2020 to center people of color!
- Tell your friends about June Medical Services v. Gee
So now onto the Supreme Court case we were talking about. Although with these things it KINDA feels like we just have to wait forever for a result and hope it goes our way, THAT IS NOT TRUE AT ALL. Your mission in 2020 is to tell everyone about this case. Here’s some talking points.
A. This case is about a targeted regulation against abortion providers. Louisiana tried to pass a law that said providers needed to have hospital admitting privileges to practice. This might sound reasonable BUT (and make sure to tell everyone this) because abortion is so safe a lot of hospitals will not give providers admitting privileges. Why would they? If there’s a finite number they can give they want to give them to doctors who would ACTUALLY use the hospital. Abortion is safe. Also, it’s not like patients COULDN’T go to the hospital without this law, so it essentially only exists to be an extra hurdle for clinics.
B. This law is IDENTICAL (not nearly identical, 100% identical) to a law the Supreme Court ruled was unconstitutional in 2016. A MERE FOUR YEARS AGO! This is insulting.
C. (And this is a big one) there’s another VERY insidious thing on the line in this case. Anti-abortion people want clinics to NOT be able to sue on behalf of patients. That means that someone who is actively seeking an abortion would have to sue, not the clinic. And THESE CASES TAKE MONTHS TO YEARS! Think about how cruel this would be.
So, again, tell everyone you know about this case! And go to the website “My Right, My Decision” to stay informed. Last but not least that brings us to…
1 Join us!
What are you waiting for? Get active! Even if you don’t live in New York! We’re trying to mobilize across the United States and we need you! We have so much we want to accomplish in 2020! More shows, more actions, more protests, more volunteering, more learning! We’re taking a bus to DC for the SCOTUS case and we want you ON IT! If you saw all the erosion of rights that’s been happening and want to DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, just know #WeShowUp! Be part of that we!!
