News
New Ad Highlights What’s at Risk If SCOTUS Strikes Down Emergency Abortion Care Protections
Anti-abortion extremists are targeting protections that guarantee patients can access the lifesaving care, including abortion procedures, they need to survive a medical emergency
Watch the ad here
Washington, D.C. — Today, Free & Just released a new ad calling attention to what is at stake should the conservative-led Supreme Court side with anti-abortion extremists who are challenging national protections that guarantee the right to receive life-saving care — including emergency abortion care — that could have dangerous outcomes for patients experiencing pregnancy complications. On Wednesday, Supreme Court justices will hear oral arguments in a consolidated case to decide whether or not hospitals can provide abortion care when required during emergency medical situations.
“Everyone deserves access to lifesaving health care when they’re faced with life-or-death situations and this includes abortion care. We’re educating constituents in key congressional districts about what’s at stake should Trump-appointed justices strike down these abortion protections—a dangerous precedent that would lead to hospitals turning away more patients, frighteningly worse health outcomes, and extremist politicians emboldened to further restrict access to health care,” said Veronica Ingrahm, Senior Campaigns Director for Free & Just.
This ad is part of a six figure targeted digital and linear program across three Congressional districts: WI-03, TX-15, and NE-02 to raise awareness about this latest anti-abortion attack on reproductive freedom.
New polling shows a majority of voters support the law that protects a patient’s ability to access lifesaving care, and believe emergency abortion care should be protected if a woman’s health is at stake.
Ad Script
Imagine you need emergency care.
Imagine someone you love does…
Only to be turned away.
That’s what’s at stake
As the Supreme Court decides whether hospitals are allowed
to provide emergency abortion care,
Including to help patients whose lives are at risk.
It could open the door to political interests restricting other emergency care
And interfering in doctors’ ability to do their jobs…
Or even throwing them in jail.
Don’t let politicians interfere in lifesaving health care.
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About Free & Just
Free & Just is fighting to stop attacks on reproductive freedom and rights. We’re working with people across the country to share real stories to show the devastating consequences of attacks on our reproductive freedom. We all deserve the right to control our bodies and lives. That’s why we’re sharing our stories, raising our voices, and fighting for our future.
Donald Trump and Conservatives Want to Ban Abortion – Whether State-by-State or in a Nationwide Push
Personal Stories Highlight the Destructive and Extreme Conservative Anti-abortion Agenda that is Banning Access to Care and Putting Lives at Risk
Washington, D.C — Today, Donald Trump announced that abortion laws should be “left up to the states,” teeing up the next step in his and extremist Republicans’ plan to ban abortion and restrict reproductive freedom at the state-level after Supreme Court judges he selected helped overturn federal abortion protections.
Since Supreme Court Justices appointed by Former President Trump repealed the abortion protections of Roe 22 states across the country have banned abortion.
Because of this extremist plan, Women, families, and pregnant people have been forced to live with a dangerous new health care reality created by Conservative-led attacks on abortion care, medication abortion, access to contraception, and in vitro fertilization (IVF).
This is just another step in extremist Conservatives’ multi-pronged plan to ban abortion nationwide – whether in a single sweeping piece of legislation, or through a state-by-state assault on abortion rights.
“Donald Trump just took the next step in his plan to make it harder for women to receive an abortion when they need one. With access to medication abortion, IVF, and access to abortion care in emergency settings all at risk, it’s clear that Conservatives, led by Donald Trump, will not stop until they’ve achieved their goal of a nationwide abortion ban,” said Free & Just Campaign Director Veronica Ingham.
In response to Donald Trump’s statement, Free & Just is sharing stories from advocates that highlight the health risks and impacts of the state laws that ban and restrict access to abortion.
“Working under Georgia’s extreme six-week abortion ban has been devastating,” said Suki O, an ultrasound tech in Georgia for over 20 years. “I have had to console crying women in my office, including those who have been sexually assaulted, who have received a fatal fetal diagnosis, or who aren’t ready to be parents, after telling them I cannot provide them with the care they desperately want and need. Abortion bans harm patients’ health and put providers in impossible positions – that’s why people across the country are rejecting attacks on our reproductive freedom.”
“The decision to have an abortion saved my life, and I know the consequences firsthand of removing access to abortion services,” said Emma Burns, a recent graduate of Northern Arizona University living in Flagstaff, Arizona, who received a medication abortion while she was a college student. “Attacks on abortion care, like what we’re facing in Arizona, strip people of the agency over their bodies and their futures. I want these candidates to understand that everyone should have the freedom to make the best decisions for their lives and their futures.”
In the Louisiana Illuminator, Kaitlyn Joshua describes how she feels being pregnant as a Black woman in Louisiana under the state’s abortion ban: “I no longer feel safe being pregnant in Louisiana. Not as a Black woman who received inadequate and delayed medical care while enduring a painful miscarriage because of my home state’s abortion ban … The effects of overturning Roe v. Wade have made pregnancy an even more dangerous experience for women in Louisiana, and it’s terrifying to consider how much worse our reality can become if Republicans enact a national abortion ban.”
In the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Dr. Kristin Lyerly describes benign a physician in a state with an extreme abortion ban post-Dobbs: “Since Wisconsin’s near-total ban on abortion was reinstated after the fall of Roe, I have witnessed how dangerous and heartbreaking it is for my patients when politics interferes with my ability to do my job and prevents me from providing the full spectrum of abortion care that I once could. I have counseled patients on family planning throughout my career and understand abortion as both a deeply personal decision and medically necessary procedure that must be protected. People have abortions for various reasons, and all are choices they should have the freedom to make.”
If you would like to interview one of these storytellers for a story, please email maggie@freeandjust.us.
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About Free & Just
Free & Just is fighting to stop attacks on reproductive freedom and rights. We’re working with people across the country to share real stories to show the devastating consequences of attacks on our reproductive freedom. We all deserve the right to control our bodies and lives. That’s why we’re sharing our stories, raising our voices, and fighting for our future.
New Over-The-Counter Birth Control Pill Now Available, as the Biden Administration Renews Call to Protect Reproductive Health Care
The newly available drug will revolutionize how those seeking contraception get their birth control, paving the way for easier access to family planning methods
Washington, D.C.—Today, oral contraceptive Opill, the first of its kind to be offered over-the-counter, is available for purchase, ushering in a new era of family planning that will save those seeking oral contraception valuable time otherwise spent at a doctor’s office. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Opill in July 2023, and it will be available online starting Monday, March 18th and in stores in the coming weeks. Opill is safe and 98% effective at preventing pregnancy when used as directed.
Oral contraception will be easier to access thanks to the Biden administration’s efforts to protect and improve reproductive health care outcomes — a stark contrast to conservatives’ continued attacks on family planning measures like abortion access and in-vitro fertilization. If these anti-abortion lawmakers get their way, birth control methods like Opill will be next.
Opill puts reproductive rights back in women’s hands by eliminating the need for a prescription. A recent KFF survey found that more than one-third of oral contraceptive users missed a dose because they were unable to get their supply on time due to the need to see a doctor to renew or receive a prescription. Research shows that over-the-counter birth control can help those who have historically faced barriers to access, including young people, the uninsured, and those living in contraceptive deserts.
At a time when conservatives are working to restrict reproductive freedom, reproductive rights advocates welcome the availability of Opill in pharmacies, as they keep fighting to protect and improve access to reproductive health care.
“This is a historic day for my patients in rural Wisconsin and Minnesota, and anyone who has faced barriers in accessing the reproductive care they need,” said Dr. Kristin Lyerly, an OBGYN from Green Bay, Wisconsin. “I’m specifically thinking of one of my patients, a young woman who is at risk for developing uterine cancer, for whom I prescribed the birth control pill as preventative care. Due to barriers related to her insurance coverage, a month later she still has not been able to get her pills. With Opill, she will be able to go directly to the pharmacy and get them for herself.”
“I tried to be proactive about my reproductive future and access hormonal birth control, but I faced many barriers in getting the care I needed. This ultimately led to me becoming pregnant and being forced to travel over 700 miles out of my home state to access an abortion,” said DakotaRei Frausto, a college student and reproductive justice organizer from San Antonio Texas. “With birth control available over the counter, many of the hurdles I faced are removed, and people regardless of income, area, or insurance status will be able to access preventative and proactive reproductive healthcare.
“As a young service member, I was denied the ability to control my reproductive future,” said Joanna Sweatt, a Marine Corps veteran from Phoenix, Arizona. “Today, I’m celebrating the release of Opill at pharmacies across the country. Now, those of us who face unique challenges in accessing affordable reproductive health care, including service members, veterans, military spouses and dependents, will be able to get birth control on our terms.”
“This is a win for women's reproductive health and rights and a step towards women gaining autonomy over their bodies and their futures, thanks to the Biden administration’s hard work to stand up for our reproductive freedom,” said Suki O, an ultrasound technician at an abortion clinic in McDonough, Georgia. “Empowerment can come in the form of a pill.”
“Access to birth control is an essential aspect of equitable reproductive health care and should be available and affordable for everyone,” said Ariana Traub, a medical student at Emory University School of Medicine and co-founder of Georgia Health Professionals for Reproductive Justice. “Since it does not require a prescription, insurance, or a visit to the doctor’s office, OTC Birth Control ensures patients have the capacity to navigate their reproductive health and shape their own futures.”
"Birth control access is a core tenet of reproductive justice and bodily autonomy. OTC birth control eliminates significant barriers for our patients to access this essential medication,” said Alenna Beroza, a third year medical student at the Medical College of Wisconsin.“Patients are no longer beholden to prescriptions, insurance companies and recurring doctor’s visits to control their bodies and with it, their futures. This is a huge step forward in gender equity and bodily autonomy!"
If you would like to interview one of these storytellers for a story, please email maggie@freeandjust.us
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About Free & Just
Free & Just is fighting to stop attacks on reproductive freedom and rights. We’re working with people across the country to share real stories to show the devastating consequences of attacks on our reproductive freedom. We all deserve the right to control our bodies and lives. That’s why we’re sharing our stories, raising our voices, and fighting for our future.
Advocates Call on Congress to Protect Reproductive Freedom and Access to Abortion Care
Washington, D.C — Abortion storytellers with Free & Just traveled from Arizona, Louisiana, Texas, and Virginia to the nation’s capital this week to share their stories ahead of President Biden’s State of the Union address and highlight the harmful and severe human impacts of abortion bans. These storytellers joined the Pro-Choice Caucus alongside the Democratic Women’s Caucus and Whip Katherine Clark on Capitol Hill yesterday with providers, patients, and advocates to call on lawmakers to protect our reproductive freedom and fight for federal protections against Republican efforts to pass a strict nationwide abortion ban.
In his State of the Union address, President Biden emphasized his intent to protect reproductive rights, promising Americans that he would continue his fight to restore abortion protections as the nation approaches two years since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, which endangered the health of millions of Americans by restricting access to reproductive care in dozens of states across the country.
First Lady Jill Biden sat with two women, Kate Cox and Latorya Beasley, who have suffered in the wake of state abortion restrictions that took effect after the fall of Roe, to emphasize the administration’s commitment to fighting these unpopular and dangerous bans.
Rohini Kousalya Siva, MD, MPH, MS, from Norfolk, VA watched President Biden’s address in person as a guest of Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03). Rohini is the president of the American Medical Student Association, and plans to practice obstetrics and gynecology. She regularly speaks about what the overturning of Roe means for medical students, the next generation of providers, and reproductive care.
“I was honored to join Congressman Scott as his guest at the State of the Union and to join together with so many fellow advocates to stand up for reproductive freedom,” said Dr. Rohini Kousalya Siva, future OBGYN and President of the American Medical Student Association. “Abortion is a vital aspect of comprehensive health care and no elected official should come between me and my patients in the exam room. Individuals should be given the dignity and respect to make their own decisions, in consultation with their trusted medical practitioners– without interference from politicians.”
“Kate Cox’s story is familiar for too many Texans,” said DakotaRei Frausto of San Antonio, Texas. “I was forced to travel 11 hours and over 700 miles to New Mexico to receive my abortion after Texas’ medical and legislative negligence resulted in me pregnant. In the clinic waiting room, I spoke with patients who had also traveled from all over Texas to receive care – a journey no one should have to make. I realized I wasn’t alone in that waiting room and I’m so proud to stand with advocates and storytellers from across the country who have been harmed by abortion bans and refuse to let fallacious policies continue to harm the most vulnerable in our country.”
“Conservatives have been attacking abortion rights and our bodily autonomy piece by piece for decades,” said Emma Burns from Flagstaff, Arizona who received a medication abortion as a college student. “Now conservatives are coming after medication abortion, which is the next step in their plan to completely ban abortion across the country. As angry as I am that we have to keep fighting for our rights, I am so inspired by the community of storytellers who gathered today to take collective action to protect our freedoms.”
“I was proud to join with so many advocates today to stand up to attacks on our freedoms," said Professor Nicole Walker, who shared her story in an op-ed for the New York Times titled ‘My Abortion at 11 Wasn't a Choice. It Was My Life.’ “When we all come together and share our stories, our voices are amplified and we start to sound more like a chorus. We will speak out and not stand by while extremists in Congress continue to chip away at our freedoms.”
“In my home state of Louisiana, due to the state’s abortion ban, my own doctors couldn’t even tell me what was happening to me or provide the care I needed while I was miscarrying,” said Kaitlyn Joshua of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. “That’s what Speaker Mike Johnson wants for women across the country – confusion, isolation, and fear, and we won’t stand for it. I was proud to speak out against attacks on our freedoms today and say no to a national abortion ban.”
If you would like to interview one of these storytellers for a story, please email maggie@freeandjust.us
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About Free & Just
Free & Just is fighting to stop attacks on reproductive freedom and rights. We’re working with people across the country to share real stories to show the devastating consequences of attacks on our reproductive freedom. We all deserve the right to control our bodies and lives. That’s why we’re sharing our stories, raising our voices, and fighting for our future.
Free & Just Marks Would-Be 51st Anniversary of Roe v. Wade by Speaking Out Against Republican Attacks on Abortion
Washington, DC – Free & Just joined abortion storytellers, medical students , faith leaders, and elected officials to mark the would-be 51st anniversary of the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Roe v. Wade, stand up for reproductive freedom, and fight back against Republican attacks on abortion access nationwide.
In Wisconsin, ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris’s visit to Wisconsin to kick off her national Reproductive Freedoms Tour, Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI-04) and abortion storytellers and advocates joined Free & Just at Affiliated Medical Services in Milwaukee. Affiliated Medical Services was the only remaining independent abortion clinic in the state and served patients for three decades before it was forced to close shortly after the Dobbs decision restricted women’s reproductive freedoms and banned abortion across the state. You can watch the event here.
“I too have had an abortion, and I had an abortion before Roe v. Wade. And I know what it means to try to hustle up the money and have to travel to get an abortion,” said Congresswoman Gwen Moore, who shared her own personal abortion story after Roe v. Wade was overturned. “Back then, it may have been a million dollars in my mind in terms of the effort that it took me to be able to do that.”
“I used to be a labor and delivery nurse for about a decade and provided later pregnancy abortion care for patients. And then I found myself in 2016 becoming a later-in-pregnancy abortion patient before the overturning of Roe v Wade,” said Jennifer Vollstedt, former labor and delivery nurse and personal abortion storyteller who received a fatal chromosomal abnormality diagnosis at 18 weeks pregnant. “At the time, I thought this was a right that was guaranteed for patients, and I did not think this was something that was threatened. I received the type of abortion that every patient across this country deserves to have access to should they need an abortion.”
Watch the event here. Read the full event press release here.
In Arizona, abortion advocates, storytellers, and students joined Free & Just outside Rep. Juan Ciscomani’s (AZ-06) office for a rally to hold him accountable for his ongoing attacks on abortion and reproductive freedom. Rep. Ciscomani, who applauded the reversal of Roe and supports Arizona’s 15-week abortion ban, has voted repeatedly to restrict access to abortion, including for legislation that would limit access to safe abortion medication. You can watch the event here.
“As we commemorate what would have been the 51st anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision, I’m forced to reckon with the grave reality that now my daughter has fewer rights than I did at her age,” said Sylvia Gonzalez Andersh, an Air Force Veteran and a constituent of Rep. Juan Ciscomani who shared her personal story of receiving an abortion while on active duty in the 70s, just five years after the landmark Roe v. Wade decision. “Because of the Roe ruling, I had the freedom to decide my future – a freedom I’ve lived to see both granted and taken away…if extreme Republicans like Juan Ciscomani get their way, my daughter will completely lose her right to make the same decisions I had the freedom to make, just like my mother before her.” Read more of Sylvia’s story in the Arizona Daily Star.
“How unfair that we have to stand up here fighting for rights that you fought so hard for 50 years ago. It’s outrageous that we still have to fight to have bodily autonomy and receive the medical care we need, said Emma Burns, a recent graduate of Northern Arizona University and organizer with the Arizona Students Association who shared her own abortion story following Sylvia. “Receiving my abortion allowed me to continue my life. It allowed me to graduate college and it allowed me to hope for the future… when you deny young people access to abortion care you are signing their death sentences.” Read more of Emma’s story in the Arizona Mirror.
Watch the event here. Read the full event press release here.
Free & Just also released a new TV ad that calls out Members of Congress for their extremist, dangerous anti-abortion agenda and efforts to further ban and restrict abortion access across the country. The ad features abortion storyteller Emma Burns who spoke out at the rally outside of Rep. Ciscomani’s office.
The TV ad is part of a six-figure ad buy to amplify the voices of people who have been impacted by the overturning of Roe and the proliferation of harmful anti-abortion laws in Arizona and across the country.
The ad is running on broadcast in Arizona’s 6th congressional district, Nebraska’s 2nd congressional district, and Wisconsin’s 3rd congressional district from Monday, January 22 through Friday, January 26, 2024.
See additional coverage of the events in Arizona and Wisconsin below:
Arizona
KMSB-TV (Fox Tucson): Abortion Advocates March in Arizona, Gather in Tucson to Hold Rep. Ciscomani Accountable for his Attacks on Abortion | January 20, 2024
KOLD-TV (CBS Tucson): Abortion Advocates March in Arizona, Gather to Hold Rep. Ciscomani Accountable for His Attacks on Abortion January 20, 2024
KVOA-TV (NBC-Tucson): Advocates Rally Outside Rep. Ciscomani's Office Ahead of Roe Anniversary | January 20, 2024
Blog for Arizona: Abortion Activists Rail Against CiscoMAGA and Republican Extremists | January 21, 2024
Tucson Agenda | The Daily Agenda | January 22, 2024
Arizona Daily Star op-ed by Sylvia Gonzalez Anderish: Three generations of women, three sets of rights | January 20, 2024
Wisconsin
CBS58 (CBS Milwaukee): 'Women's rights are human rights:' Wisconsin leaders, pro-choice advocates hold abortion access rally ahead of VP Harris' visit Monday | January 21, 2024
WTMJ4 (NBC Milwaukee): Ahead of VP Visit, Democrats Rally in Milwaukee to Oppose National Abortion Ban
WUWM-FM (Milwaukee’s NPR): Vice President Harris will emphasize abortion rights during a visit to Wisconsin
If you’re interested in speaking with any of the event’s participants, please email maggie@freeandjust.us
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About Free & Just
Free & Just is fighting to stop attacks on reproductive freedom and rights. We’re working with people across the country to share real stories to show the devastating consequences of attacks on our reproductive freedom. We all deserve the right to control our bodies and lives. That’s why we’re sharing our stories, raising our voices, and fighting for our future. Follow Free & Just on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
NEW TV AD: “The attacks haven’t stopped”: Abortion Advocate Emma Burns Calls Out Speaker Mike Johnson and House Republicans for Their Extremist Anti-Abortion Agenda
Ad will air in markets targeting Reps. Juan Ciscomani (AZ-6), Don Bacon (NE-2), and Derrick Van Orden (WI-3) for their support of harmful abortion bans and restrictions
Washington, DC — Today, on the 51st anniversary of the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, Free & Just released a new TV ad that calls out Republicans for their extremist, anti-abortion agenda and efforts to further ban and restrict abortion access across the country. The ad features recent college graduate Emma Burns, who received a medication abortion as a student in Arizona despite the state’s burdensome restrictions. Now, In the wake of the reversal of the Roe v. Wade decision, Republicans, like Representatives Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06), Don Bacon (NE-02), and Derrick Van Orden (WI-03) are working to further restrict access to abortion and ultimately ban abortion nationwide. And later this year, the same Supreme Court that overturned Roe is hearing a case that could make it much more difficult to access medication abortion across the country.
The ad follows a rally held over the weekend in front of Rep. Juan Ciscomani’s district office where abortion advocates, including Emma, held Rep. Ciscomani and Republican lawmakers accountable for their ongoing attacks on abortion.
“Taking away a woman’s right to access an abortion, a right that had been protected for nearly fifty years, was just the first step in Republicans’ plans to restrict freedom by enacting a nationwide abortion ban,” said Veronica Ingham, Senior Campaign Director at Free & Just. “As we recognize what would be the 51st anniversary of the Roe decision that established those protections for women, we are faced with escalating attacks on our fundamental freedoms. It’s more clear than ever that we need federal legislation to protect abortion access."
The TV ad is part of a six-figure advocacy campaign to amplify the voices of people who have been impacted by the overturning of Roe and the proliferation of harmful anti-abortion laws across the country.
The ad will run on broadcast in Arizona’s 6th congressional district, Nebraska’s 2nd congressional district, and Wisconsin’s 3rd congressional district from Monday, January 22 through Friday, January 26, 2024.
If you’re interested in speaking with Emma Burns or someone at Free & Just, please email maggie@freeandjust.us.
Ad Script:
As a student, an abortion was the right decision for me
But the Supreme Court took that right away from us
A right we had for nearly 50 years
And the attacks haven’t stopped
Extremists in Washington are trying to put care like I received out of reach
And politicians like Congressman Ciscomani/Bacon/Van Orden are trying to ban abortion nationwide
We have to stand up for our freedoms now
Because these should only be our decisions to make
This is a fight for our futures
Stop Speaker Mike Johnson’s extreme plan to ban abortion
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About Free & Just
Free & Just is fighting to stop attacks on reproductive freedom and rights. We’re working with people across the country to share real stories to show the devastating consequences of attacks on our reproductive freedom. We all deserve the right to control our bodies and lives. That’s why we’re sharing our stories, raising our voices, and fighting for our future. Follow Free & Just on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
On the Eve of Vice President Harris’s Visit, Congresswoman Gwen Moore and Advocates Gather at Closed Abortion Clinic
“Every woman is exceptional and has her own life’s course and the only solution for us as Congresswomen and Congressmen is to mind our own business.” -Congresswoman Gwen Moore
*Watch the event here* *Photos here*
Milwaukee, WI – Today, on the eve of Vice President Kamala Harris’s visit to Milwaukee to kick off her national Reproductive Freedoms Tour and the 51st anniversary of the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Roe v. Wade, Congresswoman Gwen Moore and abortion storytellers and advocates joined Free & Just at Affiliated Medical Services in Milwaukee. Affiliated Medical Services was the only remaining independent abortion clinic in the state and served patients for three decades before it was forced to close shortly after the Dobbs decision restricted women’s reproductive freedoms and banned abortion across the state.
While abortion care has resumed in parts of Wisconsin, Affiliated Medical Services remains closed, and the attacks on our freedoms haven’t stopped. Wisconsin Republicans are planning to introduce yet another extreme abortion ban on the Roe v. Wade anniversary, and national Republicans recently elected a Speaker of the House who has championed legislation to ban abortion nationwide and celebrated the fall of Roe v. Wade. These abortion bans have prevented Wisconsin providers from giving care to their patients that they desperately want and need, even in dangerous and life-threatening situations. And the number of abortions in Illinois is rising as people are forced to travel out of state to receive the care they need.
“I too have had an abortion, and I had an abortion before Roe v. Wade. And I know what it means to try to hustle up the money and have to travel to get an abortion,” said Congresswoman Gwen Moore, who shared her own personal abortion story after Roe v. Wade was overturned. “Back then, it may have been a million dollars in my mind in terms of the effort that it took me to be able to do that.”
“We hear all these people claim that they love children so much, but they have no compassion for those children like Jenn’s child who would die in the womb. They have no compassion for a 10-year-old who’s been raped.” Congresswoman Moore continued, referencing anti-abortion politicians and their continued attacks on reproductive freedoms. “Which gets us to the topic of exceptions – every woman is exceptional. Every woman is exceptional and has her own life’s course, and the only solution for us as Congresswomen and Congressmen is to mind our own business.”
“I used to be a labor and delivery nurse for about a decade and provided later pregnancy abortion care for patients. And then I found myself in 2016 becoming a later-in-pregnancy abortion patient before the overturning of Roe v Wade,” said Jennifer Vollstedt, former labor and delivery nurse and personal abortion storyteller who received a fatal chromosomal abnormality diagnosis at 18 weeks pregnant. “At the time, I thought this was a right that was guaranteed for patients, and I did not think this was something that was threatened. I received the type of abortion that every patient across this country deserves to have access to should they need an abortion.”
“With a lot of guidance and counseling from my providers, and because of my previous experience in providing abortion care for patients under similar circumstances, this became a really easy decision for me,” Jennifer Vollstedt continued, becoming emotional, saying, “I knew I didn’t want my baby to suffer and I knew that I didn’t want to risk my future fertility or my life.”
“I don’t often like to talk about the specific circumstances of my abortion because I think it’s too complex, and it’s very easy to look at what I went through and boil it down to ‘with exceptions’” Jennifer Vollstedt continued, referencing debunked “exceptions” that patients often can’t access when they need care. “I truly think that any restrictions and bans on abortions are too black and white and put people in danger. We need to be trusted in this country to make these decisions for our own bodies.”
“The people who have abortions are rich, and they’re poor, and they’re Democrats, and they’re Republicans,” said Reverend Denise Cawley, a Unitarian Minister and former abortion clinic chaplain. “And every single ban and restriction on abortion, including the latest one I’m hearing about here in Wisconsin – every one of them affects real people.”
“There has been one thing that has stood out the most to me: people in our state of Wisconsin do not know what they can and cannot do with their bodies,” said Alenna Beroza, a medical student and future OBGYN, talking about her time serving in clinics and as a Pregnancy Options Wisconsin phone line volunteer. “These laws have made people confused and scared, from providers to patients. People do not know what they can share with their doctor, they do not know where they can turn with questions, and they do not know what is safe and unsafe.”
“As a female medical student interested in a career in OBGYN, these laws have been life shattering,” Alenna Beroza continued. “I am training to become a health care provider, and I attend school and live in a state where my values, my body, and my health care are at risk. There is no debate. Abortion is essential health care.”
You can watch the event here and photos from the event can be found here.
If you’re interested in speaking with any of the event’s participants, please email ashley@freeandjust.us
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About Free & Just
Free & Just is fighting to stop attacks on reproductive freedom and rights. We’re working with people across the country to share real stories to show the devastating consequences of attacks on our reproductive freedom. We all deserve the right to control our bodies and lives. That’s why we’re sharing our stories, raising our voices, and fighting for our future. Follow Free & Just on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Advocates Speak Out Against Rep. Ciscomani’s Attacks on Abortion ahead of 51st Anniversary of Roe v. Wade
Tucson, AZ – Today, ahead of the 51st anniversary of the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Roe v. Wade, abortion advocates, storytellers, and students joined Free & Just outside Rep. Juan Ciscomani’s (AZ-06) office to hold him accountable for his ongoing attacks on abortion and reproductive freedom. Rep. Ciscomani, who applauded the reversal of Roe and supports Arizona’s 15-week abortion ban, has voted repeatedly to restrict access to abortion, including for legislation that would limit access to safe abortion medication.
Republicans in Arizona have been waging a war against abortion access in the state, enacting harmful restrictions that make receiving abortion care burdensome and difficult. In the wake of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Org., nearly all clinics in Arizona stopped providing abortion services, leaving the only seven remaining clinics in the state operating at a reduced capacity under former Republican Governor Doug Ducey’s extreme abortion ban. Now, the state Supreme Court is considering reinstating a near-total ban from 1864.
“As we commemorate what would have been the 51st anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision, I’m forced to reckon with the grave reality that now my daughter has fewer rights than I did at her age,” said Sylvia Gonzalez Andersh, an Air Force Veteran and a constituent of Rep. Juan Ciscomani who shared her personal story of receiving an abortion while on active duty in the 70s, just five years after the landmark Roe v. Wade decision. “Because of the Roe ruling, I had the freedom to decide my future – a freedom I’ve lived to see both granted and taken away…if extreme Republicans like Juan Ciscomani get their way, my daughter will completely lose her right to make the same decisions I had the freedom to make, just like my mother before her.” Read more of Sylvia’s story in the Arizona Daily Star.
“How unfair that we have to stand up here fighting for rights that you fought so hard for 50 years ago. It’s outrageous that we still have to fight to have bodily autonomy and receive the medical care we need, said Emma Burns, a recent graduate of Northern Arizona University and organizer with the Arizona Students Association who shared her own abortion story following Sylvia. “Receiving my abortion allowed me to continue my life. It allowed me to graduate college and it allowed me to hope for the future… when you deny young people access to abortion care you are signing their death sentences.” Read more of Emma’s story in the Arizona Mirror.
“Abortion is health care. Abortion is a human right,” said Kyle Nitschke, Co-Executive Director of the Arizona Students' Association. “When our congressmen are trying to take away our freedoms around health care, our freedoms to live without gun violence, our freedoms to travel safely in between borders, we need to hold them accountable.”
Speakers also included Katie Woodall, an activist with Moms Demand Action and survivor of the Las Vegas Route 91 Shooting, and students from the University of Arizona who called out Rep. Ciscomani for his failures on gun safety and immigration.
You can watch the event here.
If you’re interested in speaking with any of the event’s participants, please email maggie@freeandjust.us
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About Free & Just
Free & Just is fighting to stop attacks on reproductive freedom and rights. We’re working with people across the country to share real stories to show the devastating consequences of attacks on our reproductive freedom. We all deserve the right to control our bodies and lives. That’s why we’re sharing our stories, raising our voices, and fighting for our future. Follow Free & Just on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
What They’re Saying About… Life in Post-Dobbs America
Personal Stories Highlight the Destructive and Extreme Republican Anti-abortion Agenda that is Banning Access to Care and Putting Lives at Risk
WASHINGTON — Following the one-year anniversary of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and the avalanche of abortion bans and restrictions enacted by Republican lawmakers and politicians across the country, the Free & Just campaign began elevating the voices of advocates, doctors, patients, and faith leaders to describe what life is like in post-Dobbs America. Republicans in state houses, on Capitol Hill, where they’re led by anti-abortion Speaker Mike Johnson, as well as those running for higher office, continue to push an extreme anti-abortion agenda that is out of touch with the majority of people who support a federal law that protects safe and accessible abortion care nationwide. As more people worry about the dangers and risks these abortion bans and restrictions pose in their communities, they’re speaking out and fighting back. These are a few of those stories.
Wisconsin OB-GYN Dr. Kristin Lyerly: “I have witnessed how dangerous and heartbreaking it is for my patients when politics interferes with my ability to do my job and prevents me from providing the full spectrum of abortion care.”
“Since Wisconsin’s near-total ban on abortion was reinstated after the fall of Roe, I have witnessed how dangerous and heartbreaking it is for my patients when politics interferes with my ability to do my job and prevents me from providing the full spectrum of abortion care that I once could. I have counseled patients on family planning throughout my career and understand abortion as both a deeply personal decision and medically necessary procedure that must be protected. People have abortions for various reasons, and all are choices they should have the freedom to make.
“Some of the patients I counseled were already parents and could not afford to raise another child. Others faced dangerous complications or learned their child would not survive after birth. No one should make these difficult, highly individualized decisions but the person who is pregnant, their doctor, and the people they love and trust.” (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Abortion restrictions could be even worse under new House Speaker Mike Johnson, Opinion, 11/14/23)
AMSA President Rohini Kousalya Siva: “I can’t help but struggle with the fear that I may face violent threats–even death threats–and relentless attacks on my medical and ethical integrity.”
“I did not spend four years working hard in medical school to deprive myself as a resident of these essential learning opportunities. I worry that one of the many ripple effects of overturning Roe is how it undermines the education of a generation of medical students across the country.
“While I want to be excited about the career ahead of me, I can’t help but struggle with the fear that I may face violent threats–even death threats–and relentless attacks on my medical and ethical integrity with little institutional support from organizations like the American Board of Obstetrics & Gynecology.” (Ms. Magazine: I’m an Aspiring OB-GYN. Here Is Why I Won’t Do My Residency in Any State With an Abortion Ban. 8/10/23)
Arizona OB-GYN Dr. DeShawn Taylor: I should be able to use the skills I spent years learning … to help my patients and shouldn’t have to fear “criminalization for providing that care.”
“My own clinic paused services for three weeks and currently operates at a reduced capacity under Arizona’s 15-week abortion ban. The state Supreme Court is now even reconsidering a law from 1864, before Arizona was a state, that would completely ban legal abortion and allow up to five years in prison for abortion providers. I should be able to use the skills I spent years learning in medical school, residency, and fellowship to help my patients and shouldn’t have to fear criminalization for providing that care.
“I took an oath to care for those in need to the best of my ability. The laws proposed and supported by Speaker Mike Johnson would make that impossible. When doctors are banned from fulfilling their most basic functions, patients’ lives are at risk.” (Copper Courier: Speaker Johnson threatens my ability to do my job. If he gets his way, I’ll wind up in prison. 11/14/23)
New Hampshire Child Care Worker Amanda D’Angelo: “I want lawmakers to understand that abortion bans punish those who are already suffering and make the trauma of a fatal diagnosis for your baby even worse.”
“I knew that I could not handle the physical and mental trauma of watching my baby suffer with no chance of survival, and I knew what the right decision for me was. If I’d been forced to carry my pregnancy to term, I don’t think I would have had the opportunity to be a mom to my 10-month-old son, Jacob, today…
“Knowing that women in my position in 2023 might not have the freedom to have an abortion because the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade one year ago haunts me. Even in states like New Hampshire, where abortion access is currently protected, our reproductive freedom remains under attack… I want lawmakers to understand that abortion bans punish those who are already suffering and make the trauma of a fatal diagnosis for your baby even worse. (Union Leader: Amanda D'Angelo: My abortion was the right decision for me and my baby. 7/13/23)
Arizona Activist Emma Burns: “We need to advocate for medication abortions in Arizona and across the country, as this procedure is not only life-saving but life-affirming.”
“As a 19-year-old college student already struggling, finding out you’re pregnant with twins is akin to submerging underwater. The world falls silent, and your only thought is of survival. I knew the only way for me to move forward would be to terminate my pregnancy. But due to Arizona’s restrictive abortion laws and lack of access to care, I was almost unable to make this decision for myself…I was confident in my decision, but due to a provider shortage and the mandatory waiting period, I was made to wait another week before receiving care I so desperately wanted…
“Three years later, when I think of my experience, I imagine how differently it could have all gone. Not every pregnant person has the freedom to decide, the time to take off work, the funds to obtain care, or the privilege to attend an in-person appointment. In Arizona’s hostile abortion landscape, access to medication abortion is restricted through unnecessary regulations, including the 24-hour waiting period and prohibiting the use of telemedicine for medication abortions. Arizonans are also unable to access care through an FDA federal rule change to allow pharmacies to dispense abortion pills. We need to advocate for medication abortions in Arizona and across the country, as this procedure is not only life-saving but life-affirming.” (AZ Mirror: Women’s lives, like mine, hang in the balance if medication abortion is banned, 10/18/23)
Wisconsin Pastor Tim Schaefer: “People should have the right to decide what is best for their lives based on their own faith, and we should trust them to make those decisions.”
“As I discussed with my congregation, freedom is a core tenet of our faith as Baptists. That includes the freedom to decide whether to end a pregnancy. People should have the right to decide what is best for their lives based on their own faith, and we should trust them to make those decisions… I believe that no single interpretation of scripture should be used by any government to determine laws for how everyone should live. Extreme conservative politicians like Johnson, however, are injecting their radical, narrow interpretation of faith into legislation.
“As the new Speaker wraps his arms around church and state in an effort to bring them even closer together, he omits one of the central tenets of Christianity: love. As Christians, we are called to love our neighbors, not to judge or shame them for decisions made in good faith. As a pastor, I have counseled members of my church and community on their decisions to receive abortion care. We discuss how these decisions are best for their lives and fit into their expression of faith and relationship with their Creator.” (UpNorthNews: Opinion: I’m a Baptist pastor and abortion rights advocate who is deeply troubled with Speaker Johnson’s interpretation of scripture, 12/8/23)
If you would like to interview any of these storytellers or speak to somebody at Free and Just for your reporting, please email: maggie@freeandjust.us
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About Free & Just
Free & Just is fighting to stop attacks on reproductive freedom and rights. We’re working with people across the country to share real stories to show the devastating consequences of attacks on our reproductive freedom. We all deserve the right to control our bodies and lives. That’s why we’re sharing our stories, raising our voices, and fighting for our future. Follow Free & Just on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Wisconsin Faith Leaders and Advocates Speak Out Against Republican Attacks on Abortion Rights
WISCONSIN — Local faith leaders, including members of the Wisconsin Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, along with abortion advocates and storytellers, joined Free & Just this week for a virtual roundtable to speak out against extreme Republican efforts to restrict abortion access. Participants called attention to House Speaker Mike Johnson’s interpretation of faith to justify his push for a harmful, anti-abortion agenda in Congress.
Leaders of varying faith traditions shared how their religious beliefs inform their support for reproductive freedom, in direct contrast to Speaker Johson’s radical use of faith as a weapon to assert control over Americans’ lives. Participants also included an OB-GYN and women with personal abortion stories who spoke to the human impact of Wisconsin’s abortion ban and advocated for access to abortion care.
Quotes from abortion storytellers:
“I truly believe I received the type of abortion that every patient deserves to receive and I hope to continue the fight in Wisconsin and across the country to see access restored to our patients,” said Jennifer Vollstedt, a former labor and delivery nurse who shared her decision to end a wanted pregnancy prior to the reversal of Roe v. Wade. “I received excellent care from my nurses, providers, and the chaplain, and I think it was really impactful in my ability to recover emotionally from this experience that was really painful… I believe really strongly that everyone deserves that support and medical-based care in decisions they’re making with their provider and themselves.”
Dana Pellebon, Executive Director of RCC Sexual Violence Resource Center in Dane County, explains how she felt a “cloud of judgment” from the religious community she grew up in while deciding to have an abortion, and how she instead felt relief and peace after she received the procedure: “It took away the ‘mythos’ that surrounded abortion for me, and that was freeing and beautiful… As I support people now through their decisions and they say ‘I’m afraid of what’s next,’ I can share what was next for me, and it doesn’t have to look traumatic. It doesn’t have to look like anything other than ‘I went to the doctor, I took care of myself, I came home, I felt better, and then I went on living my life.’”
“It is an absolute joy to be able to provide this non judgemental, thoughtful care for women, to meet them where they’re at, to recognize that they are critical parts of communities, and those communities involve their deeply held beliefs and their faiths,” said Dr. Kristin Lyerly, an OB-GYN from Green Bay, Wisconsin. “...What I tell my patients is listen to your heart, talk to your faith leaders. They do find great solace when they go back to [their faith leaders] and other people who support them in their lives and they can tell their story and not be judged.”
Quotes from Faith Leaders:
“When we talk in interfaith settings, one of the realities that we have to recognize is that different faiths have different teachings about all these questions– when does life begin, when does personhood begin,” said Rabbi Bonnie Margulis, Executive Director of Wisconsin Faith Voices and Chair of Wisconsin Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (RCRC). “...Our different faith traditions all recognize the diversity of faith traditions in this country and that we have a First Amendment right to follow whatever our different faith teachings are. Therefore [abortion] should be a matter between the pregnant person, their medical personnel, their conscience, their God, and not something for our legislators and our government to be involved in.”
“People’s faith beliefs should not have any say over what other people can do and other people’s rights… What Christian Nationalists are doing is about power and control. I don’t even think it’s about their faith,” said Pastor Tim Shaefer of First Baptist Church. “If you feel that strongly about abortion then don’t get an abortion. But that doesn’t give you the right to tell everybody else that you can’t get an abortion. There has to be pushback against that kind of creep of faith perspectives into crafting laws and preventing people from exercising their own rights.”
“I don’t think it’s a logical argument. I think it’s one about control,” said Rev. Denise Cawley, a Unitarian Universalist Minister who has served as a chaplain at Planned Parenthood, of Mike Johnson and other Christian Nationalists' use of the Bible to justify their attacks on abortion. “I don’t think it's at all about the truth of what any sacred text says.”
“It’s their [Christian Nationalists’] mandate to gain control in every possible situation,” said Diane Duggan, a minister at Circle Sanctuary. “...This attack [on abortion rights] has been part of the playbook of the Christian Nationalists for the last 20 years. What we need to do is continue to chip away at it and to show folks that this is not the way to go.”
More Information on Participating Faith Leaders and Advocates
Faith Leaders:
Rabbi Bonnie Margulis is the Executive Director of Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice and the Chair of Wisconsin Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (RCRC).
Rev. Tim Schaefer is pastor at First Baptist Church of Madison who has counseled several members of his church who have sought abortion care.
Rev. Denise Cawley is a Unitarian Universalist Minister who has served as a chaplain at Planned Parenthood.
Rev. Dr. Chris Ross is a pastor at the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Watertown, WI.
Rev. Dianne Duggan is a minister at Circle Sanctuary, a Nature Spirituality church in Barneveld, WI, and Assistant Director of the Lady Liberty League.
Abortion Storytellers and Advocates:
Dr. Kristin Lyerly is an OB-GYN from Green Bay. In an op-ed for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Dr Lyerly warns that abortion restrictions could be even worse under Speaker Mike Johnson.
Jennifer Vollstedt is a former labor and delivery nurse who shared her decision to end a wanted pregnancy in this op-ed for TruthOut.
Dana Pellebon is the Executive Director of RCC Sexual Violence Resource Center in Dane County. She shared her personal abortion story in an interview with PBS Wisconsin.
You can watch the event here, and learn more about how House Speaker Mike Johnson’s dangerous anti-abortion record is a threat to reproductive rights here.
If you’re interested in speaking with any of the roundtable participants, please email zoe@freeandjust.us.
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About Free & Just
Free & Just is fighting to stop attacks on reproductive freedom and rights. We’re working with people across the country to share real stories to show the devastating consequences of attacks on our reproductive freedom. We all deserve the right to control our bodies and lives. That’s why we’re sharing our stories, raising our voices, and fighting for our future. Follow Free & Just on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Americans Continue to Reject Dangerous and Extreme GOP Playbook that Restricts Freedoms and Bans Access to Abortion Care
People Are Speaking Out Against The Risks GOP-Sponsored Abortion Bans and Restrictions Pose to Their Communities
WASHINGTON — During last night’s Republican debate, candidates continued to double down on their support for a national abortion ban, despite this week’s victories for protecting abortion access in Ohio, Kentucky, and Virginia. Their continued support for a national abortion ban in the immediate aftermath of victories for abortion access shows just how wildly out of step Republicans are with a public that finds their playbook of restrictions on freedom and bans on abortion access deeply unpopular. New survey data in battleground states shows once again Republicans are “too extreme” and dangerously out of step with Americans’ attitudes towards abortion access across the country.
While Republicans continue to push harmful abortion bans they’re billing as “compromises,” constituents are rejecting their harmful agenda, with nearly 60% of those surveyed showing support for a federal law that protects safe and accessible abortion care across the country. Sixty-four percent of constituents in battleground states think abortion should be legal, and nearly two-thirds worry about Republicans passing even more severe restrictions should they be in a position governing to make that happen.
Free & Just Senior Campaign Director Chrystian Woods released the following statement:
“This week, Republicans have once again demonstrated how deeply out of touch they are with Americans’ attitudes – including those in their own party – toward abortion access and personal freedom. On Tuesday, in states across the nation, Americans soundly rejected anti-choice politicians’ hostile and dangerous attacks on the freedom to make personal decisions about one’s health and future. Republicans' efforts to ban abortion are unwelcome and unpopular. Last night during the debate, Republicans mostly avoided the topic of abortion – a sign they know their views are out of step. But when the topic of abortion was raised, candidates offered Americans the same dangerous anti-abortion rhetoric: ramping up attacks on our personal freedom and expressing support for a national ban. We will continue to hold them accountable and work to elevate the voices of those most impacted by these egregious abortion bans.”
Free & Just is elevating and amplifying the voices of everyday people who are increasingly concerned about the impacts of abortion bans and restrictions. Here’s what they’re saying:
“Working under Georgia’s extreme six-week abortion ban has been devastating,” said Suki O, an ultrasound tech in Georgia for over 20 years. “I have had to console crying women in my office, including those who have been sexually assaulted, who have received a fatal fetal diagnosis, or who aren’t ready to be parents, after telling them I cannot provide them with the care they desperately want and need. Abortion bans harm patients’ health and put providers in impossible positions – that’s why people across the country are rejecting attacks on our reproductive freedom.”
“The decision to have an abortion saved my life, and I know the consequences firsthand of removing access to abortion services,” said Emma Burns, a recent graduate of Northern Arizona University living in Flagstaff, Arizona, who received a medication abortion while she was a college student. “Attacks on abortion care, like what we’re facing in Arizona, strip people of the agency over their bodies and their futures. I want these candidates to understand that everyone should have the freedom to make the best decisions for their lives and their futures.”
“If I had carried my pregnancy to term, I would have put my own health at risk, and if my baby survived to term, she would only have suffered. That’s why I made the decision to end my pregnancy,” said Jennifer Vollstedt, a former Labor and Delivery nurse based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin who received an abortion later in pregnancy prior to the overturning of Roe v. Wade. “Each pregnancy is unique and everyone should have that same freedom to make the decision that’s best for themselves and their families – without interference from politicians.”
If you would like to interview Free & Just Senior Campaign Director Chrystian Woods or one of our storytellers for a story, please email zoe@freeandjust.us.
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About Free & Just
Free & Just is fighting to stop attacks on reproductive freedom and rights. We’re working with people across the country to share real stories to show the devastating consequences of attacks on our reproductive freedom. We all deserve the right to control our bodies and lives. That’s why we’re sharing our stories, raising our voices, and fighting for our future.
ICYMI: “It’s About Controlling Women”: Veterans Reject Tommy Tuberville’s Antiabortion Crusade
In New Vanity Fair Piece, Two Free & Just Storytellers Share Their Stories of Receiving Abortion Care While Serving in the Military
WASHINGTON – In a new piece from Vanity Fair, two Free & Just storytellers share their stories of receiving abortion care while in the military. Joanna Sweatt shares that having an abortion while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps allowed her to continue her service. Carrie Frail shares that having an abortion while serving in the Air Force “saved her life” as she was in an abusive relationship.
After the fall of Roe v. Wade, the Biden Administration enacted a policy to allow service members to take administrative leave to access abortion care. The policy also allows service members to request “travel and transportation allowances” to access reproductive health care. Since this policy was enacted, Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville (AL) has blocked hundreds of critical military nominations in protest of the policy.
Reproductive care has never been easy for service members to access, and now since Roe was overturned, it’s become even more difficult with nearly half states enacting abortion bans. Service members now often must travel hundreds of miles to access abortion care, necessitating leave and travel allowances to cover expenses. Joanna and Carrie speak to how important it was for them to be able to access care while they were serving in the military.
Joanna Sweatt speaks to her decision to have an abortion while in the military:
“During her service, Sweatt and her husband—who have celebrated 26 years of marriage—had two more children. But after their third, the couple said they wanted a tubal ligation and a vasectomy. The military doctors, according to Sweatt, deemed the two too young—at 23 and 24—to make such decisions. So Sweatt went back on birth control but got pregnant again; this time, she decided to get an abortion.
“That abortion allowed her to continue her service, which included a deployment to Iraq after September 11, 2001. And when she got pregnant again after returning from tour, she had an ectopic pregnancy and needed another abortion. Those decisions, Sweatt wrote in an essay for NBC News, ‘ensured that I could be the best mother I could be to my three children, and they guaranteed that I could continue serving my country to the best of my ability.’”
Carrie Frail explains how her ability to access to abortion care while in the military saved her life:
“‘I was in a relationship where even family and friends were like, ‘Carrie, he is going to kill you at some point.’ It was very abusive. I had been hospitalized. I had been threatened with firearms,” she said.
“Then she got pregnant.
“Frail recalled that this person made it clear he wanted her to get an abortion, even suggesting that he would ‘do me physical harm to make me miscarry.’ She went ahead with a medication abortion. About a year and a half later, Frail was finally able to leave the relationship, something she said she might never have been able to do had she not moved forward with the procedure. ‘I firmly believe that my abortion saved my life,’ she told [Vanity Fair].”
If you’re interested in speaking with Joanna Sweatt or Carrie Frail, please email zoe@freeandjust.us.
Mike Johnson Can’t Hide from Extreme Abortion Record Plastered to a Mobile Billboard Touring Washington
Mike Johnson Didn’t Even Finish His First Week as Speaker Before Free & Just Exposed his Extreme Abortion Record with a Mobile Billboard Tour of Capitol Hill and College Campuses
WASHINGTON — Mike Johnson has gone quiet on his plan to ban abortion access nationwide, but it will be hard to hide from his record while a mobile billboard, sponsored by Free & Just, tours Capitol Hill and area college campuses, including American University, Howard University, Georgetown University, and George Washington University from Wednesday, November 1 to Friday, November 3.
Statement from Chrystian Woods, Free & Just Senior Campaign Director:
“Mike Johnson’s record speaks for itself. We saw him celebrate the overturning of Roe v. Wade and we have read his tweets lauding the criminalization of abortion care. Now that Mike Johnson has become Speaker of the House, we are putting him on notice that we will not sit back and watch him roll back our freedoms. That’s why we are asking Americans to call Speaker Mike Johnson and tell him that Americans support abortion access.”
The mobile billboard will highlight newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson’s extreme anti-abortion agenda and calls on concerned Americans to call Speaker Johnson to voice their support for abortion access. You can see the creative for the mobile billboard here and here.
Creative for mobile billboard in Washington, D.C.
***MOBILE BILLBOARD DETAILS***
WHAT: Free & Just Mobile Billboard
WHEN: Wednesday, November 1 - Friday, November 3 (8am - 4pm)
WHERE: The mobile billboards will appear around Capitol Hill and DC-area college campuses Wednesday through Friday
Wednesday: Capitol/RNC/NRCC HQ
Thursday: College Campuses (Howard, GW, Georgetown, American)
Friday: Capitol/RNC/NRCC HQ
Background on Mike Johnson’s extreme record on abortion:
Mike Johnson has said repeatedly that he supports a national abortion ban and has introduced multiple pieces of legislation to ban and restrict access to abortion care. Johnson is an anti-abortion extremist, who will undoubtedly work to pass further abortion bans and restrictions.
Johnson has sponsored legislation that would ban abortion before most people even know they are pregnant.
Johnson has also co-sponsored so-called “fetal personhood” legislation
The consequences of putting “personhood” language into law could be sweeping. Not only would it criminalize abortion, but it could also ban stem cell research, assisted reproductive technology like IVF, and common forms of birth control.
Johnson supports criminalizing providers, praising a Louisiana law that would mean those who provide abortion care can be “imprisoned at hard labor for 1-10 yrs & fined $10K-$100K.”
Johnson has also supported legislation that would make the Hyde Amendment permanent and has called for the defunding of Planned Parenthood.
Before coming to Congress, Johnson spent years as a senior attorney and spokesperson at the Alliance Defending Freedom– the anti-abortion legal organization that helped engineer the end of Roe v. Wade.
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About Free & Just
Free & Just is fighting to stop attacks on reproductive freedom and rights. We’re working with people across the country to share real stories to show the devastating consequences of attacks on our reproductive freedom. We all deserve the right to control our bodies and lives. That’s why we’re sharing our stories, raising our voices, and fighting for our future.
New Free & Just Digital Ad Calls Out Republican Extremists Attempting to Shut Down the Government Over Abortion Demands
WASHINGTON — This week, Free & Just launched a new digital ad campaign highlighting the fact that Republican extremists are trying to shut down the government in an attempt to force abortion bans and restrictions. While a government shutdown was narrowly avoided, Republican extremists will undoubtedly continue to push their unpopular and dangerous abortion policies in the coming weeks before government funding runs out again on November 15. That’s why Free & Just launched a new ad featuring storytellers who share their opposition to Republican extremists’ attempts to hold the government hostage over their abortion demands.
You can view the ad here.
The storytellers featured in the ad include:
Suki O, an ultrasound tech from Georgia with over 20 years of experience
Joanna Sweatt, a Marine Corps veteran from Arizona whose abortion allowed her to continue her service
Amanda D'Angelo, a childcare worker from New Hampshire who received an abortion due to a fetal anomaly
Angela Tyler-Williams, a pastor ordained in the Presbyterian Church
Free & Just Senior Campaign Director Chrystian Woods released the following statement:
“We might have avoided a government shutdown for now, but we know that extreme politicians will continue to threaten to shut down the government if they can’t ram through their harmful anti-abortion agenda. These digital ads are part of Free & Just’s efforts to amplify the voices of those who have had their freedom stripped away by dangerous abortion bans and those who are fighting to stop attacks on reproductive health care.”
As it stands, seven out of 12 GOP appropriations bills include restrictions on abortion. These provisions include:
Limiting access to the abortion medication mifepristone, a safe and effective method of ending an early pregnancy;
Prohibiting the VA from providing abortion services to veterans;
Banning the Department of Defense from covering expenses for Defense employees to travel to receive abortion care;
Defunding Planned Parenthood and other family planning clinics;
Prohibiting funding of an “abortion hotline” to provide people with information on where abortion access is available;
Stopping the Biden Administration from implementing executive orders to increase abortion access following the Dobbs ruling.
The GOP abortion restriction provisions are widely unpopular among voters. In fact, a recent Navigator poll found that an overwhelming 90 percent of Americans want Congress to focus on avoiding a government shutdown instead of making it harder to access abortion. Despite the wide unpopularity of abortion bans, anti-choice lawmakers continue to force their destructive agenda to further restrict access to care and endanger the personal choices and health of those who may need an abortion.
Transcript of the ad below:
Amanda: Angry.
Jojo: Extremely infuriated.
Suki: It’s crazy to me.
Angela: Enraged.
[Text on screen]:
THAT’S HOW WE FEEL
WATCHING MAGA EXTREMISTS
TRYING TO SHUT DOWN THE GOVERNMENT
BECAUSE THEY COULDN’T PASS MORE ABORTION BANS.
Jojo: My body
Angela: And my future
Amanda: Shouldn’t be controlled
Suki: By anyone
Jojo: But me.
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About Free & Just
Free & Just is fighting to stop attacks on reproductive freedom and rights. We’re working with people across the country to share real stories to show the devastating consequences of attacks on our reproductive freedom. We all deserve the right to control our bodies and lives. That’s why we’re sharing our stories, raising our voices, and fighting for our future.
Free & Just to Fly Plane Banner Over Nebraska to Expose the Dangers of the State's Abortion Ban as Women Face Prosecution
Free & Just to Fly Plane Banner Over Nebraska to Expose the Dangers of the State's Abortion Ban as Women Face Prosecution
OMAHA, Neb. – Today, Free & Just will begin flying a plane banner over Nebraska, drawing attention to the women who are prosecuted and punished under the state’s abortion ban. The plane will first go up over Memorial Stadium as the Nebraska Cornhuskers face off against the University of Michigan Wolverines.
The plane will begin flying at 11:30am CT on Saturday, September 30 over Memorial Stadium, three hours before kickoff while families from across Nebraska gather before the game. The plane will then fly over major Omaha highways at the following times:
Monday, October 2nd, morning commute (7am - 10am)
Monday, October 2nd, evening commute (4pm - 7pm)
Thursday, October 5th, morning commute (7am - 10am)
Thursday, October 5th, evening commute (4pm - 7pm)
Last month, Free & Just placed five billboards with a similar message across Nebraska’s Second Congressional District in response to the sentencing of a Nebraska teen who used abortion pills, a safe and effective method of ending a pregnancy. The mother of the teen was recently sentenced to two years under the state’s abortion law.
After Nebraska Right to Life falsely claimed victory in getting the billboards taken down when Free & Just’s contract had simply expired, Free & Just made attempts to contract with advertisers to continue to inform Nebraskans and put the billboards back up. Vendors across the state, including Lamar Advertising, refused to run the copy, despite it being previously accepted and on billboards for almost a month. This comes as a possible government shutdown looms because extreme House Republicans in Washington D.C. are attempting to further restrict abortion access.
“Extreme anti-abortion groups don’t want people to know that women are going to jail because of their dangerous and deeply unpopular abortion bans,” said Zoe Sheppard, spokesperson for Free & Just. “Lamar Advertising and other advertisers are doing a disservice to Nebraskans when they refuse to let them know the truth about the real-life impact of these bans, so we took matters into our own hands and took flight.”
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About Free & Just
Free & Just is fighting to stop attacks on reproductive freedom and rights. We’re working with people across the country to share real stories to show the devastating consequences of attacks on our reproductive freedom. We all deserve the right to control our bodies and lives. That’s why we’re sharing our stories, raising our voices, and fighting for our future.
As GOP Threatens a Shutdown Over Abortion Restriction Demands, 9 in 10 Americans Say Congress Should Focus on Avoiding a Shutdown Instead of Restricting Abortion Access
Seven Out of Twelve Appropriations Bills Currently Include Restrictions on Abortion
This weekend marks the deadline for Congress to come to an agreement on funding the federal government before an official government shutdown begins at midnight on October 1. Unable to pass any party-priority bills in the last eight months, House Republicans are instead incorporating unnecessary and irrelevant provisions to spending packages, many of which are aimed at further eroding abortion access and forcing votes on bills.
Using must-pass spending legislation as a vehicle is the latest effort by extreme MAGA Republicans to dismantle access to abortion and reproductive care further. GOP efforts to restrict or ban abortion are highly unpopular, with nearly 70 percent of voters opposing “one-size-fits-all” abortion bans and 58 percent of voters strongly agreeing that abortion bans are dangerous, yet House Republicans are willing to force a government shutdown over their harmful and unpopular policy priorities.
As it stands, seven out of 12 appropriations bills include restrictions on abortion. These provisions include:
Limiting access to the abortion medication mifepristone, a safe and effective method of ending an early pregnancy;
Prohibiting the VA from providing abortion services to veterans;
Banning the Department of Defense from covering expenses for Defense employees to travel to receive abortion care;
Defunding Planned Parenthood and other family planning clinics;
Prohibiting funding of an “abortion hotline” to provide people with information on where abortion access is available;
Stopping the Biden Administration from implementing executive orders to increase abortion access following the Dobbs ruling.
As you’re considering coverage of the looming government shutdown and the GOP proposed appropriations bills, Free & Just storyteller Carrie Frail is available to speak to press. Carrie is an Air Force veteran who received an abortion at the only clinic in Missouri at the time, which is now closed. Carrie’s daughter, who is currently serving in the Air Force in Missouri, would have to take leave and travel out of state to receive the same care her mother received almost 15 years ago. Carrie can speak to how important abortion care is for veterans and service members and the harmful impacts of Republicans' bill to ban the Department of Defense from covering expenses for Defense employees to travel to receive abortion care.
How Do Americans Feel About a Potential Government Shutdown?
The GOP abortion restriction provisions are widely unpopular among voters. In fact, a recent Navigator poll found that an overwhelming 90 percent of Americans want Congress to focus on avoiding a government shutdown instead of making it harder to access abortion. This includes a majority of independents (89 percent) and Republicans (84 percent).
A majority of Americans (63 percent) feel that a government shutdown would have a negative impact on their lives. Many see the most negative side effects of a shutdown falling on seniors and those who depend on Social Security and Medicare, as well as families that rely on programs that make raising families easier. When voters learn why House Republicans are threatening to shut down the government, voters are even more opposed to their tactics.
77 percent of Americans believe a government shutdown this fall will hurt the economy. This is especially critical in the context of abortion as forcing pregnancy erodes economic security due to the high costs of pregnancy and raising children.
People who are denied an abortion are more likely to be living in poverty even four years after, are less likely to be employed full-time, and face more unpaid debts and financial distress years later.
Abortion medication pills, like mifepristone, can cost up to $800.
Raising a child can cost an average of $13,000 a year, totaling approximately $233,000 over the course of childhood. The lack of a robust care economy means that having children has substantial economic consequences in the long term.
People who have to travel out of state to access abortion care can spend up to/around $10,000 - including car rental, airfare, gas, hotels, medical costs, food, child care, etc. For those living paycheck-to-paycheck, this amount is typically out of reach.
Republican-proposed cuts are deeply unpopular, especially those aimed at Social Security, nutrition assistance, education, clean water, and medical research funding.
American Perceptions About Risks to Abortion Access
Nearly 70 percent of Americans say that the right to an abortion is at risk nationally in America regardless of whether they live in a state that has enacted new restrictions since Roe was overturned or not. Additionally: 61 percent of Americans disagree with the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade last June.
Nearly 2 in 3 (64%) Americans say they would vote to protect abortion rights in their own state if given the opportunity to vote on it.
Nearly 3 in 4 Americans oppose prosecuting patients who receive abortions. A majority of Americans also oppose prosecuting doctors who perform abortions.
If you’re interested in speaking with Carrie Frail for a story, please email zoe@freeandjust.us.
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Ahead of Tonight’s GOP Debate, Here’s What You Need To Know
WASHINGTON – Tonight, Republican presidential candidates will take the stage for the second Republican debate. During the first debate, we saw candidate after candidate double down on their unpopular stances on banning abortion and restricting access. Tonight, we can expect more of the same. Tonight’s debate comes as extremist Republicans threaten to shut down the government over their demands to further restrict access to abortion and other types of reproductive health care. Recent polling shows that a majority of Americans believe access to abortion is at risk in this country and are concerned about the threat to access in their own state. Sixty-four percent of those same respondents also worry that Republicans, if in a position to do so, would pass a federal abortion ban. Ahead of tonight’s GOP debate, here’s what you need to know:
Abortion bans continue to be extremely unpopular.
Americans overwhelmingly oppose passing a national ban on abortion, including 65% of Republicans and 83% of Independents.
At the same time, 64 percent of Americans believe that if Republicans take back the White House and both chambers of Congress, they are likely to pass a nationwide ban.
Amid efforts in some states to codify abortion rights in state constitutions, two in three Americans say they would vote to protect the right to abortion in their state’s constitution if their state held a vote on the issue.
61% of Americans disagree with the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade last June.
Nearly 70% of Americans say that the right to an abortion is at risk nationally in America regardless of whether they live in a state that has enacted new restrictions since Roe was overturned or not.
There’s no such thing as a “national consensus” when it comes to abortion bans.
A majority of Americans (8 in 10) say that the decision to have an abortion should be between the pregnant person and their doctor.
70 percent of voters oppose “one-size-fits-all” abortion bans, and nearly 60 percent of voters agree that abortion bans are dangerous.
While some candidates have been claiming that a 15-week ban is a “compromise,” in reality, 74% of Americans do not believe that a 15-week ban is a compromise, and 73% of Americans, including a majority of Trump supporters, think things have gone too far.
Exceptions don’t actually work — and they’re designed that way.
Exceptions in abortion laws are designed to be difficult to understand, navigate, and obtain. They operate as a political tool and do not provide real assistance to a pregnant person who needs to access care in a state where abortion is banned.
Exceptions for rape and incest are rare and require survivors to meet a variety of requirements in order to obtain an abortion. One such requirement is reporting an assault to law enforcement which evidence shows few survivors do for a variety of reasons.
A recent TIME Magazine piece illustrated the problem with exceptions clearly. A Mississippi 10-year-old was raped and became pregnant but was denied abortion care under Mississippi’s law, which includes exceptions for rape. Victims must file a police report, but even if they do, “there appears to be no clear process for granting an exception.”
Extreme anti-abortion politicians are working to criminalize people who seek abortion care and those who help them access abortion care. That’s not only wrong, but also exceedingly unpopular.
Nearly 3 in 4 Americans oppose prosecuting patients who receive abortions.
A majority of Americans also oppose prosecuting doctors who perform abortions.
Just last week, a Nebraska mother was sentenced to two years in jail for helping her daughter obtain abortion pills, a safe and effective method of ending a pregnancy.
If you are interested in speaking with storytellers with Free & Just about the real-life impacts of abortion bans, please reach out to zoe@freeandjust.us
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As Extremist Republicans Threaten to Shutdown Government Over Abortion Demands, Abortion Advocates Visit Capitol Hill to Speak Out
WASHINGTON — Abortion storytellers and advocates visited Capitol Hill this week to elevate the stories of real people and the impact of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade last year. Storytellers also spoke of the harm of Republican demands in the appropriations process aimed at blocking abortion coverage and forcing votes on bills. Using must-pass spending legislation as a vehicle is the latest effort by extreme MAGA Republicans to further dismantle access to abortion and reproductive care.
Free & Just’s storytellers who come from different backgrounds — a woman from New Hampshire who chose to have an abortion after learning her baby would be born with a severe birth defect, an ultrasound technician from Georgia, a couple from Florida who were denied abortion care, and an LGBTQ pastor from Wisconsin — met with congressional staff to share abortion stories that call attention to the relentless attacks that have put patients, health care providers, and others across the country in impossible positions.
“It is imperative that members of Congress take the time to hear from their constituents on how these harmful abortion bans have impacted their lives,” said Chrystian Woods, Senior Campaign Director of Free & Just. “Abortion bans have very real and painful consequences, and our storytellers represent the everyday Americans who have been adversely affected by these widely unpopular anti-freedom policies. We are so grateful to the Members of Congress who met with our storytellers, and we know that hearing from our storytellers will energize them as they continue to fight back against the right’s extreme anti-abortion agenda.”
More on Free & Just’s storytellers who visited Capitol Hill to speak out:
Amanda D'Angelo is a childcare worker from New Hampshire. She told her story in an op-ed in the Union Leader about how she chose to have an abortion after learning her baby would be born with anencephaly, a severe birth defect, and had no chance for survival. Amanda met with Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02).
Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) embraces Free & Just storyteller Amanda D’Angelo.
Tim Schaefer, the first openly gay pastor at First Baptist Church of Madison and a member of the Wisconsin Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice met with Congressman Mark Pocan (WI-02). An advocate for the protection of reproductive rights, Tim has counseled several members of his church who have sought abortion care.
Derick and Anya Cook are a husband and wife from Florida who shared their story in this Washington Post article of how Anya almost lost her life after being denied abortion care following the reversal of Roe V. Wade. Anya, alongside her husband, delivered her almost 16-week fetus in the bathroom of a hair salon after she was turned away by a hospital due to the state’s abortion law. While starting a family had once been a dream for the couple, Anya describes how “getting pregnant now feels like a death sentence.” Anya and Derick met with Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (FL-24).
Suki O. has been an ultrasound tech in Georgia for 20 years. As the first point of contact for patients seeking abortion care, Suki has experienced first-hand the impact of the reversal of Roe. V Wade. Her patients are now terrified when waiting for her to tell them if heartbeat activity has been detected, and she has had patients, including those with fetal anomalies and ectopic pregnancies, now denied abortion care.
Free & Just, the organization that brought these storytellers to Washington, aims to educate Americans about who is responsible for these attacks and put a human face on the real-life impact of abortion bans. This campaign is grounded in storytelling — amplifying the stories of those who have been directly impacted by the fallout of overturning Roe — and maintaining a steady drumbeat of awareness of the continued attacks on our freedoms and, crucially, who is responsible for the loss of our rights.
Background on abortion provisions in spending bills:
Currently, seven out of 12 appropriations bills include restrictions on abortion, including:
Limiting access to the abortion medication mifepristone
Prohibiting the VA from providing abortion services to veterans
Banning the Department of Defense from covering expenses for Defense employees to travel to receive abortion care
Defunding Planned Parenthood and other family planning clinics
Prohibiting funding of an “abortion hotline” to provide people information on where abortion access is available
Stopping the Biden Administration from implementing executive orders to increase abortion access following the Dobbs ruling
If you are interested in speaking with any of these storytellers, please reach out to zoe@freeandjust.us.
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About Free & Just
Free & Just is fighting to stop attacks on reproductive freedom and rights. We’re working with people across the country to share real stories to show the devastating consequences of attacks on our reproductive freedom. We all deserve the right to control our bodies and lives. That’s why we’re sharing our stories, raising our voices, and fighting for our future. Follow Free & Just on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
New Free & Just Digital Ads Fight Back Against Extremist Politicians Threatening a Government Shutdown Over Abortion Access
Ads in Arizona and Wisconsin Encourage People to Fight Back by Sharing Their Stories on How Abortion Bans Impact Them
WASHINGTON — Today, the Free & Just Campaign launched a new digital ad campaign in Arizona and Wisconsin — two states with extreme abortion bans — to fight back against the politicians who are hijacking the federal appropriations process with their anti-abortion policies and threatening a government shutdown at the end of the month. The ads encourage people to share their stories about how these policies affect their access to care and the outcomes they face as a result. Despite the wide unpopularity of abortion bans, anti-choice lawmakers continue to force their destructive agenda to further restrict access to care and endanger the personal choices and health of those who may need an abortion.
Free & Just Senior Campaign Director Chrystian Woods released the following statement:
“As extreme politicians threaten to shut down the government if they can’t ram through their harmful anti-abortion agenda, we’re fighting back by showing the real and often disastrous consequences of attacks on reproductive freedom. These digital ads are part of Free and Just’s efforts to amplify the voices of those who have had their freedom stripped away by dangerous abortion bans and other attacks on reproductive health care. We’re empowering people to stand up and fight back by telling their story — from Arizona to Wisconsin, and across the country — these experiences must be at the forefront of the fight to protect abortion access.”
Ad copy is as follows:
Arizona
Arizonans: Stand Up to Attacks on Reproductive Freedom
Arizona, Anti-abortion extremists are threatening to shut down the government. Fight back and share your story
Wisconsin
Wisconsinites: Stand Up to Attacks on Reproductive Freedom
Wisconsin, anti-abortion extremists are threatening to shut down the government. Fight back and share your story.
Fight Back
Politicians are trying to tell us what we can and can’t do with our bodies and our lives. Together, we can fight back. Share your story to defend reproductive freedom.
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About Free & Just
Free & Just is fighting to stop attacks on reproductive freedom and rights. We’re working with people across the country to share real stories to show the devastating consequences of attacks on our reproductive freedom. We all deserve the right to control our bodies and lives. That’s why we’re sharing our stories, raising our voices, and fighting for our future.
Free & Just Responds to Extremist Anti-Abortion Group’s Failed Attempts to Remove Nebraska Billboards Highlighting Extreme Abortion Policies in the State
WASHINGTON – Free & Just released the following statement in response to Nebraska Right to Life’s failed attempts to remove Free & Just’s billboards highlighting the Nebraska’s extreme abortion policies. The billboards were set to come down on August 31, when Free & Just’s contract for these advertisements expired.
Free & Just’s Senior Campaign Director Chrystian Woods released the following statement in response to Nebraska Right to Life’s failed attempts to remove the billboards:
“Extremist groups like Nebraska Right to Life don’t want people to know just how far they are willing to go to punish women who have abortions. Free & Just’s billboards shed light on the extreme anti-abortion agenda pushed by these groups and their political allies that they know is cruel, dangerous, and deeply unpopular. The contract for our billboards expired on August 31 - – plain and simple. This is a sad and desperate attempt by Nebraska Right to Life to gain relevance and claim victory when they know their dangerous and extreme positions are unpopular among the majority of Nebraskans.”
Free & Just placed five billboards across Nebraska’s Second Congressional District in response to the sentencing of a Nebraska teen who used abortion pills, a safe and effective method of ending a pregnancy. The billboards were erected in order to educate Nebraskans about the danger of criminalizing abortion. These billboards remained in place throughout the duration of Free & Just’s contract, and were removed following the expiration of the contract. Nebraska Right to Life sought for these billboards to be removed, but they were unsuccessful. Nebraska Right to Life, the group that advocated for the billboards to be removed, is the state affiliate of National Right to Life, an extremist anti-abortion group with a history of pushing legislation that criminalizes abortion.
The extreme policies that Nebraska Right to Life advocates for are unpopular in the state. Abortion restrictions are unpopular in Nebraska; polling shows that nearly 60% of Nebraskans oppose new restrictions on abortion in the state. Additionally, polling shows that prosecuting those who seek abortion care is deeply unpopular, with nearly 3 in 4 Americans opposing prosecution for those who seek abortion care.
If you are interested in speaking with Free & Just Campaign Director Chrystian Woods for a story, please reach out to Zoe Sheppard (zoe@freeandjust.us).
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About Free & Just
Free & Just is fighting to stop attacks on reproductive freedom and rights. We’re working with people across the country to share real stories to show the devastating consequences of attacks on our reproductive freedom. We all deserve the right to control our bodies and lives. That’s why we’re sharing our stories, raising our voices, and fighting for our future.