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Bans Off Our Bodies: Fighting To Protect Reproductive Rights In America

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Around the country, a great many people got a very rude awakening last Monday, May 2, when Politico published a draft opinion by Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, which appeared to indicate that the court would rule in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization to overturn Roe v. Wade and allow individual states within the United States to ban abortion outright. This is a ruling that would overturn 50 years of legal precedent and disrupt the lives of millions of American citizens.

Right now, 13 American states have “trigger laws” that will immediately ban all abortion within their borders as soon as Roe v. Wade is overturned, and eight more still have pre-Roe laws on the books that will ban abortion as soon as they are allowed to take effect again. Four more states are seen as likely to ban abortion as soon as Roe v. Wade is overturned. This means that, almost as soon as Alito’s draft opinion becomes official, abortion will be illegal in more than half of the 50 United States.

Meanwhile, polling has found that a significant majority of Americans say that abortion should be legal in all or most cases. The Supreme Court seems poised to ignore the will of the people and deliver a ruling that will restrict a civil right that many have utilized over the past half century.

Here in Virginia, there are currently no laws on the books that will ban abortion once Roe v. Wade is overturned. That’s the good news. However, with Republicans controlling the Governor’s mansion and the House of Delegates, we can’t assume this won’t be changed. In order to protect reproductive rights in Virginia and beyond, we the people must make our voices heard.

This weekend, a variety of advocacy groups around the country will be joining together to lead rallies in many major cities, to let our government know that we won’t stand for this. The event, called Bans Off Our Bodies, is taking place Saturday, May 14 from 2-4 pm here in Richmond, coordinated by Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia and Virginia Reproductive Equity Alliance, with the support of a variety of other reproductive rights-focused organizations here in the city. For details about how you can join in, click here to RSVP and learn all you need to know.

In the meantime, RVA Magazine spoke to Jamie Lockhart, Executive Director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia, to get details on what exactly is going on, what the ramifications of overturning Roe v. Wade will be, and what we can do to stand up and make our voices heard.

RVA Magazine: How do we advocate to keep abortion legal in Virginia?

Jamie Lockhart: In Virginia, we are one Senate seat/vote away from losing access to abortion. This past legislative session, we were proud to have the brick wall of support from Senator Louise Lucas and Senate Education and Health Democrats to stop bad bills from advancing. But, make no mistake — anti-abortion legislators tried. And anti-abortion legislators will try again next year. PPAV is prepared for this fight and we’re prepared to mobilize anyone who wants to advocate with us. It’s critical that the majority of Virginians who support safe, legal abortion make their voices heard now, during the next legislative session, and next November when all state Senate and Delegate seats are on the ballot.

RVA: What are the far-reaching effects of the overturn of Roe v. Wade, and how will this affect women’s choices beyond abortion?

JL: The impact of overturning Roe and Casey IS DIRE. Overturning Roe means 26 states could swiftly move to ban abortion — including 13 states with laws that could immediately go into effect. That’s half the country where people no longer will have power over their own bodies and their own lives. What is clear from Justice Alito’s draft opinion is that nothing is safe — they are coming for birth control, marriage equality; they are coming for everything.

RVA: If abortion is banned, who will suffer the most?

JL: Black and brown people, LGBTQIA individuals, and people with low incomes, who experience poverty or houselessness or experience the negative impacts of other social determinants of health, will suffer most. And we know this because access to abortion is difficult today for many of these folks, and is difficult in states that have nearly banned abortion already. 

RVA: If it is ruled illegal, what follows? Will the ruling take away access to birth control, plan B, or condoms?

JL: WE HAVE NEVER LOST A CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT. And while it has been a decades-long systematic effort to take our right to abortion, it is no less devastating.  The Supreme Court is planning to take away our power to control our personal decisions and hand it to politicians. What is clear from Justice Alito’s draft opinion is that nothing is safe — they are coming for birth control, marriage equality; they are coming for everything.

RVA: Is period-checking software safe to use?

JL: Let’s be clear: No one should fear arrest or prosecution due to a pregnancy outcome. All people deserve to access safe and legal abortion free from shame, stigma, and intimidation.

Patient privacy and security is a top priority at Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood has a period tracking app, Spot On, and does not sell user data of any type for any digital tools. They’re committed to providing sexual and reproductive health care and information in settings that preserve and protect the essential privacy and rights of everyone — no matter what.

However, it’s important to know that mobile apps — not related to Planned Parenthood — have different privacy policies, and make their own decisions about how to use data.

RVA: What are the economic benefits of access to contraceptives?

JL: Reproductive health care is a good investment; every $1 of public investment in family planning programs is estimated to save over $7. These are public cost savings from fewer unintended pregnancies, births and abortions, lower health insurance bills, and fewer cancers and sexually transmitted infections. Access to reproductive health care improves the health and financial security of women and families. Women, non-binary, and trans folks who delay childbearing experience higher educational achievement and attain higher incomes. A better-educated workforce helps grow the economy, and higher-income earners are more self-sufficient and pay more in taxes.

RVA: How will the reversal of Roe vs. Wade affect the LGBTQIA community? Will same-sex marriage be imperiled?

JL: As mentioned above, we have never lost a constitutional right. The Supreme Court is planning to take away our power to control our personal decisions and hand it to politicians. What is clear from Justice Alito’s draft opinion is that nothing is safe — they are coming for birth control, marriage equality; they are coming for everything.

RVA: How will Planned Parenthood continue to ensure people with religious affiliations can’t prevent women from seeking medical care?

JL: It’s critical that the majority of Virginians who support safe, legal abortion make their voices heard now, during the next legislative session and next November when all state senate and delegate seats are on the ballot.

Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia is on the ground across the Commonwealth building a base of supporters who will not be silent as our rights are stripped away. If folks care about this issue, it is critical that they stand up and make their voices heard now. 

RVA: How can women resist the effects of this decision in a meaningful way?

JL: Here are some ways all people can help (not just women!):

  1. Donate to abortion funds.
  2. Sign the Virginia Reproductive Equity Alliance’s Petition to Virginia Legislators
  3. Reach out to your state and federal legislators to express your support for protecting abortion access. 
  4. Join a Bans Off Our Bodies Rally on May 14th
  5. Sign up to volunteer with Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia

RVA: How can women with resources help other women?

JL: By supporting Abortion Funds, everyone can support the many women, transgender, and nonbinary people who need abortions every day. Abortion funds are groups of people who help fund people seeking financial and logistical support accessing abortion. For instance, someone could need funding for their procedure, funding to travel, or they could need a ride to and from their appointment. Abortion funds play a crucial role in helping to fill that need. With more patients expected to travel longer distances to get care, it is more important now than ever for people to support their local abortion funds! 

RVA: How can men be allies in concrete ways?

JL: Men and transfeminine folks can be allies and help just as all people can help — by donating funds, making their support for abortion rights known to their legislators, attending rallies, and engaging in an informed dialogue about abortion. It’s so important that people share their stories to break the stigma. 

Speaking of stigma, it’s not just women who have abortions. Abortion access and reproductive health care is important for people of all gender identities; all people have reproductive health care needs. 

RVA: If a greater percentage of Amercians support abortion rights than oppose them, what is the political fallout of reversing Roe vs. Wade?

JL: When people’s rights are under threat, they will stand up and fight back. The public will remember which elected representatives stood up for their reproductive freedom and which continued to be complicit in the attacks on their rights.

RVA: What is the #1 message Planned Parenthood wants to convey to the public right now?

JL: Abortion is legal in Virginia, but that is not a guarantee forever. We must remain vigilant. We must make our voices heard, and organize and vote for pro-reproductive health champions to protect access here in Virginia.

RSVP for the Bans Off Richmond event tomorrow, Saturday May 14 from 2-4 pm, by clicking this link.

Introduction by Marilyn Drew Necci, interview coordinated and conducted by Kimberly Frost. Thanks to our friends who contributed questions and helped us put this together.

The Truth About Abortion, and Why It Matters

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Protecting reproductive rights requires accurate knowledge, and shows like Shrill help shed light on facts about abortion and contraception that are largely absent from political debates around the issue.

In the first episode of the Hulu comedy series Shrill, writer Annie Easton learns that the morning after contraceptive she took didn’t work, and now she has to decide whether to have an abortion. Ultimately she does, and is seen walking into the clinic freely, with her best friend and roommate by her side as her emotional support.

Shrill, which stars Saturday Night Live’s Aidy Bryant, has been applauded not only for its accurate depiction of abortion but for bringing to light little-known facts about contraceptives and the abortion procedure itself. As it seems like every morning these days starts with news about more restrictive laws being placed on the bodies of women, these little beacons of light in media are like a warm blanket in the cold.

However, with so much inaccurate information about abortion spread around our society, I was curious about how accurate Shrill’s depiction of abortion access really was. Who better to call than the experts themselves?

“I think in the media … we are getting to a place where more shows are wanting to destigmatize abortion and lift it up as it is, which is a normal procedure. One in four women within their lifetimes will have [this procedure],” said Michelle Woods, Communications Director for NARAL Virginia. “We hope that people in the media will portray it as a normal healthcare procedure, that it’s a necessity, and how common it is… I think it’s a slow process in terms of lifting up something we don’t talk about, but it’s a conversation that we need to have.”

The biggest battle that those fighting in the healthcare arena are going to face is at its core the simplest — not just for abortion to be legal, but for it to be seen as a normal, routine procedure. However, if abortion and other forms of contraception are to be seen as normal in our society, we’re going to need to have a more accurate understanding of how they actually work.

Photo by Allyson Riggs/Hulu

An alarming moment in that first episode of Shrill is when Annie’s pharmacist points out to her that one of the reasons why the morning after pill did not work is because she exceeds the recommended weight limit for the medication. Apparently this limitation is very real, despite the fact that it is not taught in sexual education courses. Who knew.

“In Annie’s case, despite her readily accessible access to emergency contraception — in this case the brand Plan B — it was ineffective due to a lack of critically necessary medical information,” said Galina Varchena, Policy and Communications Director of NARAL Virginia. “[It was] not presented to her. Annie purchases emergency contraception multiple times, and at no point does the pharmacist mention that emergency contraception is only effective for women of a certain weight, under 175 pounds. Plan B and its generic counterparts are the most readily available form of emergency contraception in the country, but they are also the least effective for women with a high body mass index.”

Varchena notes that there should be an increased responsibility amongst pharmacists and drug companies to clearly explain the product’s effectiveness for different users. At this time, there are effective contraceptives available for women with high BMI; however, they are only available with a prescription.

“A common one is called Ella,” said Woods. “It works up to five days after unprotected sex. It works for women with high BMIs, so women who would not necessarily be protected in that event, but it requires a prescription. At Planned Parenthood, if you get a prescription you can go back at any point in the next calendar year and get it from Planned Parenthood, but you cannot get it over the counter at a pharmacy.”

Media absolutely affects the way we not only view the world but how we interpret and think about laws in our area and across the country. Portrayals through film and television create conversations and in some cases offer the only education many people have about certain issues. Conservative media certainly understands this, and has often pushed anti-abortion talking points regardless of whether or not the information presented is entirely accurate.

“Media coverage helps how people think about certain issues so if media coverage is inaccurate you’re going to have a medically inaccurate understanding of an abortion procedure,” said Katie Buie of NARAL Virginia. “I think we’re seeing that far and wide — people covering and speaking about realities of abortion, and spreading misinformation. It’s definitely an intentional campaign to mislead people on abortion, and I think that’s where we see representation of abortion in less than accurate ways [having] a negative effect on policy.”

In 2019, a variety of legislation was proposed with the intent of heavily restricting abortion rights, and some of it passed, including several “heartbeat” bills, which prohibit abortion once a fetal heartbeat can be detected — generally about six weeks after conception.

“I think the louder we are as a movement, and the louder we are speaking out while amplifying the voices of education and doctors to break ground on culture changing projects the better off we are,” said Buie. “We all need to do a much better job in expressing how severely detrimental these bills are, especially the six-week bans in different states. We need to make sure we are listing off the realities of how these bills are harming women.”

Sen. Jennifer McClellan (Photo via jennifermcclellan.com)

In 2019, Virginia voted a record number of women into the General Assembly, and this is already having positive results for abortion rights in the Commonwealth. Bills currently working their way through the state legislature are intended to roll back a variety of restrictions on abortion in Virginia.

“These laws have been about shaming women, stigmatizing abortion, shutting off access, discouraging doctors from providing this care. And we say, we’ve had enough, the voters in Virginia have had enough, and now we’re going to act on it,” NARAL Virginia Executive Director Tarina Keene said at a press conference last week. For Keene, the current moment offers Virginia a chance to become a “safe haven” for women in surrounding states who face more restrictive laws around abortion.

Reacting to the fact that in March, the US Supreme Court will hear its first major abortion case since President Donald Trump appointed two conservative justices to the court, Sen. Jennifer McClellan said, “If ever there is a time to protect a woman’s bodily autonomy, that time is now.” McClellan is the sponsor of the state Senate bill that would roll back several of Virginia’s restrictions on abortion, including a 24-hour waiting period and an ultrasound requirement.

Earlier this month, Virginia also became the 38th state to pass the Equal Rights Amendment, which puts that amendment over the number of individual states that need to ratify it for it to become part of the Constitution. Since there was a deadline placed on its ratification originally, one that has long passed, the fight to add the ERA to the Constitution will continue. Still, it’s an important step, for Virginia and the United States as a whole.

Meanwhile, coincidentally enough, the second season of Shrill was released Friday, January 24 on Hulu. It’s a reminder that we must continue to tell our stories, because despite positive progress, the battle for women’s rights is far from over.

Top Image via Broadway Video/Hulu

Loose Tweets Sink Ships

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Social media hate directed at Catholics and presidential candidates led to gubernatorial appointee Gail Gordon Donegan’s resignation.

“Abortion is morally indefensible to Catholic priests bcuz it results in fewer children to rape.” 

These are the words of Gail Gordon Donegan, who was recently nominated to the Virginia Council on Women by Governor Ralph Northam. Her unapologetically offensive social media presence led to a public outcry over her anti-Catholic tweets, and she resigned her post on August 28, less than two weeks after she’d taken it. 

On August 16, Gov. Northam appointed Donegan to the Council, which advises the state’s executive branch on matters pertaining to women. Before the kerfuffle over her social media presence erupted, Donegan was best known for founding the memorably named Brass Ovaries PAC, a political action committee formed in 2018 with the goal of supporting women running for office. She had also been a longtime member of the Democratic Committee from her home city of Alexandria, and written various op-eds and letters to the editor relating to local Alexandria issues such as education.

At the time of her nomination, Northam spokesperson Alena Yarmosky said that Donegan “has spent years advocating on behalf of issues important to women across the Commonwealth.” However, after offensive anti-Catholic tweets were found on her Twitter account, Catholic groups and bishops in Virginia called for her resignation and questioned the initial appointment. 

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that Donegan tweeted from the account @satirclAlx, with the name “Satirical Alexandria – Rated Fx by the NRA.”  In March 2011, she tweeted “Go tell a Catholic they have dirt on their forehead. #waystooffend.” Her tweet regarding Catholic rape of children, quoted above, was posted in 2010. 

Now-deleted Tweet by Gail Gordon Donegan, @SatirclAlx

The Catholic Diocese of Arlington’s Chief Communications Officer, Billy Atwell, issued a statement calling for Donegan’s resignation.

“Governor Northam’s appointment of Gail Gordon Donegan to the Virginia Council on Women is disappointing, particularly given her documented use of social media to offend members of the Catholic faith,” stated Atwell. “Ms. Gordon Donegan has a record of ridiculing Catholic beliefs and practices, and trafficking in stereotypes that would disqualify her from this role had they targeted any other category of persons. Her statements are offensive to human dignity, and fail to reflect the depth of character one would expect of a leader in our Commonwealth.” 

Deboarah Cox, an official for the Catholic Diocese of Richmond, also issued a statement about the posts: “We would expect anyone appointed to a council or commission for the Commonwealth to be respectful of all faith groups and civil in his or her public comments — including social media — given their status as a representative of the Commonwealth, appointed by the governor.” 

Donegan defended her tweets on August 21, telling the Richmond Times-Dispatch that “Psychological studies show that people who swear make better friends… And they’re smarter.” 

The following day, she told the Times-Dispatch, “I will say for the record that my father was severely beaten in Catholic foster homes and I am an atheist. My father was orphaned at age 4, sent to live in Catholic foster homes and severely beaten until he ran away at age 14.” 

My husband is an ex-Catholic and he’s not offended by my tweets.

Northam was asked Thursday at an event promoting electric school buses if he knew about Donegan’s tweets before the appointment, but he declined to comment at length. 

“I just want to reiterate that I don’t condone that kind of language,” Northam said. “And if she had chosen to stay on the commission, I would have encouraged her to refrain from any type of language that would be offensive to other folks.” 

More recently, Donegan also directed her crass language toward other groups, referring in 2017 to Boy Scouts as “pussy snowflakes,” in response to an article about a Colorado Cub Scout being kicked out of his scouting group after asking a state senator questions about gun control.

Last year she wrote, “Bernie Sanders and his shithead followers need to fuck the fuck off” in response to a March 2018 protest planned against Hillary Clinton by the pro-Bernie group Our Revolution. That protest was eventually cancelled. 

While the outcry against Donegan and her tweets came from many corners, condemnation wasn’t universal. On the blog Friendly Atheist, Hemant Mehta wrote a post encouraging Northam to stand by Donegan.

Nothing Donegan said is as bad as things Catholic priests have done. A guy who works for an organization that covered for child molesters for decades is in no position to stake a moral high ground or suggest Donegan offended ‘human dignity.’

However, on August 28, the same day that blog post was published, Donegan offered her resignation, saying that she did not want to distract from the Council’s work, as reported by CNS News. 

“I’ve spent over a decade working on behalf of important women’s issues in Virginia,” Donegan said. “At the same time, I have also been the author of a Twitter account that focused on covering Northern Virginia politics from a satirical angle from Alexandria — which is why the account is named @satirclalx. I recognize that some of the jokes I told crossed the line, and I apologize to those who were hurt by them.” 

Donegan has certainly paid a price for loosely speaking her mind about sensitive political issues on social media. She’s not the first political figure to do so, and it seems unlikely that she’ll be the last.

Additional reporting by Marilyn Drew Necci. Top Image via Facebook

Op-Ed: Gay Men Have a Stake In the Abortion Debate — The Women Who Have Always Supported Us

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Behind every gay man, there is a great woman — or, more accurately, great women. Joe Biden said of Will and Grace that the show “did more to educate the American public than almost anybody’s ever done so far.” And he was absolutely right. The sitcom was indeed groundbreaking, because it normalized gay people to American audiences.

Yet, perhaps just as important was how it portrayed the relationships between gay men and their straight female friends. Did Will and Grace slip into low-hanging fruit territory? Of course it did. But beyond tropes and cliches, at its core, it was a decisive and reverent portrayal of the bonds between gay men and straight women. For Will, Grace offered a brand of supportive love that is so familiar to gay men everywhere. The most unconditional, non-judgmental kind of love. A love rooted in compassion and commiseration.

As Pride Month begins, I am reminded of all of the ways straight female allies have supported me throughout my life, and how straight women have fought shoulder to shoulder with the LGBTQ community from the very beginning. They have no skin in the game. No horse in the race. They stood with us out of pure conviction.

So as we celebrate Pride and the legacies of the activists that have stood up for LGBTQ rights, we must remember the role that was played by our straight female allies. As we watch state after state pass legislation that blocks access to reproductive healthcare, we have a moral obligation to sound the alarm, to galvanize, and to fight. We must stand with them as they have always stood with us.

While gay men will never need an abortion, women have everything to lose if Roe is overturned. Their fight is beyond the right to choose — it is a fight for dignity and equality. And that is precisely why I am committed to protecting access to safe and legal abortions. Advocating for women’s reproductive healthcare is a moral imperative for anyone who has ever experienced inequality. The lesson my community should take away from the advocacy of straight women is that we are all in this together. As Martin Luther King Jr said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

To the women in my life, the women of my state and of my country: I stand with you. You are not in this alone. You have always been there for us, and we are here for you now.

Note: Op-Eds are contributions from guest writers and do not reflect GayRVA editorial policy.

Photo courtesy Zachary For Virginia

Virginia requirement for pre-abortion ultrasounds to stay on the books after Senate vote

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Many women and health care professionals were once again disappointed at this year’s General Assembly as the Education and Health Committee voted down a bill that would have gotten rid of the law requ
[Read more…] about Virginia requirement for pre-abortion ultrasounds to stay on the books after Senate vote