Finally some good news in this hellscape, Virginia is making huge, massive moves when it comes to abortion access!
The Virginia Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment is a constitutional amendment that will be on the ballot November 3rd. This means you, the voters, get to decide if the Virginia constitution will be amended to establish the right to reproductive freedom, which it defines as “the right to make and effectuate one’s own decisions about all matters related to one’s pregnancy.” Not only will this amendment protect the right to bodily autonomy, but it will also prevent the state from prosecuting anyone that assists in a miscarriage, stillbirth, or an abortion.
The second is being called the “Bubble Bill,” which is going before the state Senate and, as Abortion Access Front (AAF) explains, the bill would “prevent anti-abortion brainless heckling harassholes from blocking access to clinics within 40 FEET. Let’s say it louder for the forced-birth gremlins crowding the sidewalks in the back — 40. FUCKING. FEET.” Let’s fucking go Virginia — make abortion legal, accessible, and safe.
AAF is an abortion activism group founded by Lizz Winstead in 2015 that uses comedy to raise money and awareness for abortion access. Lizz Winstead basically invented political satire when she created The Daily Show with Madeleine Smithberg in 1996 and became the head writer.
After leaving The Daily Show, she co-founded Air America Radio and co-hosted “Unfiltered” with Rachel Maddow and Chuck D.
The AAF team travels across the country to clinics that really need support and hosts comedy shows with heavy hitters like Sarah Silverman, Michelle Buteau, and David Cross, with all the proceeds going to support abortion access in the area. It’s not just money, though. They show up and show out. Whether a clinic needs help repairing fences to keep the crazies away or just needs a little relaxation time (she once rented a hot tub and massage chairs for a clinic in Cleveland), whatever the providers ask for, AAF tries to provide. They also use humor to create social media content to spread abortion news in a more palatable way, with their hilarious YouTube videos and their Feminist Buzzkills podcast.
Last time I interviewed Lizz was in 2018 for the BUST Magazine Poptarts podcast, but we have kept in touch throughout the years and I absolutely adore her. I got Lizz on the phone to discuss her activism and these two important abortion measures coming up in Virginia.
Lizz called from her hometown of Minneapolis, where ICE has been conducting an intense enforcement operation that critics say has terrorized the state and sparked widespread protests after the fatal shootings of two residents, Renée Good and Alex Pretti earlier this year. She joined the rest of her community in standing up against the brutality by protesting, delivering food to those who can’t go out safely, marching, and recently emceeing the “ICE Out” rally on January 23rd.
We were supposed to have the call last Friday but rescheduled the interview. I thought it was because she needed some downtime, a little self-care. But no, that was not the case at all.
This activist stays active.
How was decompressing over the weekend?
Not really decompressing since I’m in Minneapolis.
But at least you were smart enough to be like “I need a little time to not do things”.
I was?
I thought that was why you had to reschedule the call?
That’s ‘cause I was at a march.
Well, all right. So you didn’t decompress at all [laughs]
Nope, 100,000 of us took to the streets yet again on Friday. It was crazy. It was naughty. I wish there was decompression. Sadly, there is not.
I know you only have 30 minutes, so we should probably dig into the dumpster fire. Though the Virginia abortion stuff isn’t a dumpster fire.
No, it is not.
This is what I want to talk about. Good fucking news finally. The Virginia Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment, what does this mean for other states? What could this mean going forward?
Well, you know, I feel like anybody who is working in the space around reproductive freedom access and abortion access in a state where you can solidify those rights, it needs to be all hands on deck, right? We need to gather our people on the ground, you know, just folks who believe in bodily autonomy. And we need to flood the zone, the political zone, to let them know that we aren’t playing.
It is a winning issue. Historically, we’ve seen it be a winning issue. In 2024, when a lot of other shit failed, abortion did not. And push for it to be codified in our states because otherwise, we are simply host. We cannot, I think we just can’t, wait for legislators to come up with abortion policy because they won’t.
I think what we’ve learned in all of this is that politicians seem to be about a decade behind where the people are at. So, the people need to be loud and vocal about where we’re at because it’s key.
And that’s very much Minnesota right now for sure.
Yeah, and when you have an Abigail Spanberger, and you’ve got a Mikie Sherrill, and you’ve got Tim Walz in, and you’ve got people who are here, right now, you have to take every opportunity on this issue. Look what the federal government is doing with regard to immigration. You know, if there are no [federal] laws anymore, then we have to create our own state laws.
Right. Because they’re kind of throwing everything, all the rights that we had, out the window. They’re doing it mythodically, it’s been done exactly like this before in other countries, so I don’t understand how people can’t see this. Like, take away Colbert, right? Taking away satire. What are your thoughts on that, that they’re going after comedians?
Well, I think that the other thing that we have to look at is that we have to ground swell and populate the places where corporations don’t have control and aren’t beholden to the government, you know.
But where is that?
It is places like Abortion Access Front – our podcast – podcasts that are bringing you information, independent journalists. I think creators have to be utilizing YouTube channels more and places where we still have freedom to build really great entertainment and information hubs that are outside of that corporate structure.
What are you watching? Because it’s so hard to find reliable sources. I mean, obviously we’ve got AAF. But where else?
For abortion specifically?
Across the board – it all kind of feeds into the same well.
I hate to say this, but one of the greatest gifts that happened from Joy Reid, leaving MSNBC is her platform is really growing. There is Native Lands Pod, it’s also a video podcast. I think looking at independent journalists here in Minnesota, this woman named Georgia Fort, who has been incredible and also Jessica Valenti. I think you have to seek out where people are on the ground, capturing things that your own eyes can decide. There is Status Coup, they go out on the ground and they just present what’s happening out on the ground, right? And so it’s kind of like making decisions for yourself. It’s hard because like without fact checking, you’re like, what am I getting that’s real? What is not?
Like you got to do the two sources now, you know?
It’s a two source situation, you know, you should believe you’re lying eyes to some degree. Taking a lesson from the moment we’re in now, and taking that to the issues that you care about. I think it is really important. It’s kind of like, how are we responding in this moment? To what’s happening where citizens are filming and we’re seeing things from different angles and we get to make informed decisions based on, you know, sort of the circle and the round of reality
Thank God we have this now, like if it wasn’t for people out there documenting then we would not know any of what’s going on in Minneapolis right now.
Exactly. So how do we take that and utilize it to other issue areas.
Because it’s all about rights.
Yeah, so like, for example, when it comes to abortion, one thing that we know is happening or that people don’t know, but one thing that is happening is that the FDA is using a study that’s been debunked to decide the fate of medication abortion.
I was just listening to the Feminist Buzzkill podcast about that.
Yeah, so the power that we have is telling our stories. And you know, it’s hard to ask people to tell their abortion stories with medication abortion, we shouldn’t have to tell our medical stories. But if there is a debunked study, and there is six million people that have safely used this drug, who can be their own anecdotal evidence, then that becomes its own thing. You can’t ignore the reality of millions of people who can testify against a study that has come out – not even a think tank or a research arm – but a website that acquired insurance information.
That’s how they got it?
So, what this study is based on is that they have insurance codes for people who accessed the pill. Right? So not names, but just the insurance codes of people that access medication abortion through their insurance. And then of those same people anybody who had gone to an emergency room for any reason and had been coded in that way…like let’s say you got norovirus within a certain amount of time and it was in like within 30 days from when you got your pills and went to the emergency room because you didn’t know what was going on. Then they would say, um, a harmful side effect was chronic barfing and diarrhea for medication abortion. They just lumped it together.
And also it’s only the people that have to go to a hospital..
Exactly, the people who used insurance. So the whole thing is flawed. There’s a really good link to it about how it all works. And it’s just maddening, right? So our power is our stories in this particular way, right? And how do we tell these stories and how do we have our power? And that is by coming forward to say, ‘you can rig this fake study nine ways to Sunday. But, here’s the truth’. We’ve been through it. Here’s what happens.
There was something in the amendment, the Virginia one that I wanted to know if you could explain, because I find the statement weird. It says the amendment would provide this right for abortion, unless justified by compelling state interest. What the fuck does that mean?
I would say…hmm. I, I don’t know what a compelling state interest would be.
Right?
Um, someone’s pregnancy or, or a doctor’s? Because… I have no idea what that means, because the only compelling interest is you.
What the fuck? Seems like they’re putting a loophole in there that I’m a little worried about because if we don’t know what it means maybe nobody knows what that means. There was another bill that they’re trying to pass, the “bubble bill”. Can we talk about that a little bit about that because that really has to do a lot with your work at Abortion Access, right? So, speak on it.
So, you know people really get confused about what a zone looks like and why people need it. And the fact of the matter is why on earth would you ever think it’s okay to have close proximity to someone going to the doctor?
Right.
Right! And I also think people don’t understand the harm the anti-abortion movement has caused by having access. They created a law back in the ’90s called the FACE Act because the proximity to patients was so dangerous, and the proximity to doctors was so dangerous. They were murdering people in clinics, and they were storming the doors of clinics and chaining themselves to the doors of clinics and inside.
And also the Trump administration saying, “We’re no longer going to prosecute people who are violating it at abortion clinics unless it’s so egregious.” And who’s deciding that? Them. They have no idea what egregious behavior is. They’re not prosecuting people who murdered somebody at point-blank range, right?
And to see that, then unless you have zones, who knows what can happen to people? I’m really glad that people are understanding why you need a buffer zone or a bubble zone. Because weaponizing somebody could be with tear gas, could be walking by somebody in a crowd with a nail at the bottom of your sign and scraping their legs and harming them. It could mean a gun, could mean a knife, could mean many things.
And copy that with the permission that’s now been given by this Department of Justice to look the other way when violence is happening outside of clinics. Again, states need to be enacting safety laws to protect themselves from federal violence, I guess is the way to put it.
Also I wanted to talk about Minnesota, this would be twofold. What have you seen that we’re not seeing? And what can other states do to prepare or to help?
I think get your community organizing a bunch, get it going. You know, like get your Signal chats going now. I would say follow what all of the people in Minnesota who have been posting ways to do mutual aid. Look at all of the ways people have had to step up to help and start forming those groups in advance so that if people are snatched off the streets, you already are signing people up to take kids to school, pick kids up from school, be outside of the detention facility if people need a ride home, driving people to their jobs and picking them up if they are afraid to go to their jobs because they’ll be snatched.
Get mutual aid pods going for folks who can’t leave their house so that people are getting food and looking at the list of things that should go into a comprehensive delivery for folks when they get back to their homes. Things like that, and plan in advance. Look to see, since there are so many lists out there right now, of different ways you can help. Just pick away and organize around that way in advance.
You had to get a rental car. But is that just because you’re famous or do other people have to do that out of precaution?
No, it’s because ICE is patrolling every place that has been sort of listed as a drop-off point for mutual aid. ICE is patrolling and taking down the license plate numbers of those cars. If you’re doing any kind of filming, filming ICE, a constitutional observer, they’re taking down your license plate and following you home.
Since I live with two other people who are also, you know, activating, I don’t want to put them in danger. But more to the point, ICE is also full of anti-abortion extremists, and I don’t want them to know where I live. I’d rather have it so that if they check a rental car plate, that’s not going to tell them where I live.
Do you think an average person needs to go to that extent?
I think if they can. There’s been so many stories of average people doing this kind of thing and being followed home by ICE. And if you don’t want to be followed home by ICE then everybody should take any precaution they can.
Maybe people can pull together and get one rental car to do errands with?
Yeah, or taking public transport if you can, or just figuring out something; but with anything that’s registered and tied to you, you know, it’s hard. If you’re going to call a lift, don’t be in front of your house, maybe walk a block away and get your lift there, right? So, you know, it’s that kind of thing where you just have to be thinking about it.
Well, I think we have almost maxed our time. What should we be looking for? What politicians are we going to? What’s the moves?
I think the moves are to put pressure on your state and local people to make sure that you are solidifying your rights at home. And remembering that when it comes to voting that voting is a state issue. How do you really solidify that so the federal government can’t screw you? I do think that looking to this moment in Minnesota, looking through all of the ways that mutual aid is happening around this issue, can be a way to think about how you do mutual aid and how you protect and solidify rights.
Minnesota is being so inspirational right now, just watching it from far away, you’re like, it’s freezing cold out there and they are out there just fucking with ICE.
We’re trying our best.
It’s obviously terrifying, but to see people just come together like that and nonviolently, even though they keep trying to picture it as violent, it’s completely nonviolent.
Completely nonviolent. Good luck trying to turn it into something else.
Every scene we see, there’s no violence, except coming from the ICE and the police.
Fucking. Yeah, exactly.
Who was it that showed up in Minnesota giving out food or something cute like that?
Oh, it was the National Guard. They were giving out donuts and coffee.
It’s like, all right, more of that the low key way to be like, we’re with you.
Exactly.
Well I hope you get to do some decompressing at some point and I’ll talk to you later.
[laughs] Okay dear, talk to you later. Bye Cal.
Wanna help keep abortion safe and legal? Head over to www.aafront.org where they have a list of ways you can get involved. They have an “adopt a clinic” program where you can click through cities to see wish list items that abortion providers need for traveling patients like snacks, underwear or Uber gift cards. The items you purchase go directly to the independent clinic, abortion fund or clinic escort group.
You can also help expose fake clinics by writing reviews to alert people seeking abortions that these are not actual abortion clinics and to stay away. Tune into the Feminist Buzzkills to keep informed and see what actions they have coming up. And this can’t be stressed enough, pull up to the polls and help states make laws that Trump and his gang of goons can’t take away.
Main photo courtesy of Lizz Winstead
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