Third Thursday Recap: Roe Unrealized
Many thanks to all who came to last night’s Third Thursdays on Reproductive Justice, and especially big thanks to Angelica Perez of Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women for speaking on this important topic.
Above is a good illustration of the relationship between reproductive rights, reproductive health and reproductive justice.
Main takeaways:
Choice is not enough. We need access for all - to Reproductive Healthcare, including abortion care. Without proper access, some women will be sentenced to pregnancies they cannot afford, are unable to support.
Through the Reproductive Justice lens, this means giving people access to the economic, social, and political power and resources to make healthy decisions about their bodies, sexuality, and reproduction. For more, see Our Justice
In MN there are 5 abortion clinics (4 in Twin Cities). People come to MN from WI, IA and SD for reproductive healthcare.
Every year anti-abortion bills are passed in MN but vetoed by Gov. Dayton. With current balance of power in the MN Legislature, it is essential that his replacement be pro-choice.
Actions:
- Help get a hearing for 3 great bills that were introduced last year but NOT heard. Proposed by Minnesotans for Trust, Respect, Access, these bills aim to give people access to the reproductive health care they need. Contact your MN Senators and Representatives and tell them to support these bills.
- Protect Physician’s Integrity Act, HF411/SF 281
- MN Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, HF 1642/SF 1671
- Comprehensive Contraceptive Coverage Act, HF795/SF409
- Sign up to Our Justice, Naral Pro-Choice Minnesota, Planned Parenthood Minnesota Advocate to find out more about what they do, to volunteer and to receive their action alerts, etc.
- Donate to the Our Justice’s Abortion Assistance Fund, the only one in MN – to help women afford the abortion care they need.
- Register for the Pro-Choice Lobby Day, Mar 1st, 9-5pm - Legislative Training 101, Rally and visit your legislator.
- Support Our Justice’s 25th Annual Bowlathon – Mar 29th, St Louis Park.
- Recommended documentary to watch: “Trapped” by Dawn Porter
Angelica Perez works for the Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women. Ways to support the important work of MCBW and the women and families they serve:
- Follow and like them on Facebook, and find out more about what they do.
- Attend their upcoming “We Believe” Rally Against Domestic Violence on March 28th at the Rotunda of the Minnesota State Capitol and take a stand against domestic violence in Minnesota!
If you can’t make it to St. Paul, there will be actions happening in cities Bemidji, Marshall,
Pine City, Rochester and St Cloud. Check back to this FB event page for more details soon.
- MCBW prepares an annual report that tracks all the domestic violence murders each year. View the 2017 Femicide Report
- Survivor’s Fund: Domestic violence has far-reaching impacts on survivors and their families. Survivors need support beyond a legal remedy or criminal justice response, e.g. paying rental application fees or a security deposit, fixing a vehicle to get to and from work or appointments, repairing credit, covering relocation costs, paying the first and last month’s rent at a new apartment. All of these expenses can be insurmountable for a person fleeing domestic violence but critical for gaining stability for themselves and their families. Please consider donating to this fund via PayPal. To ensure donations go the Survivor’s Fund, simply enter a memo in PayPal stating “Survivor’s Fund” and it will get routed there.
