The Bodily Freedom Forever project advances the idea that you should have sole decision-making power over your body as long as those decisions don’t infringe on another’s bodily freedom.
And this weekend, thanks to the tireless work of about 50 volunteers, the project launched a body of research that is going to help you vote with your values this Tuesday, Sept 10th, in the Rhode Island primary.
That research is the Bodily Freedom Forever Index, which attempts to answer the question:
Why This Matters
Constituents have the most power to influence state policy in district elections, and the Bodily Freedom Forever Index seeks to show constituents what their elected officials’ values truly are.
Here’s How We Did It
We looked at the voting records of those running to hold the offices of state senator, state representative, mayor, town council member, and school committee member to see if those records advanced bodily freedom. If the candidate has never held office, we researched their public statements to determine how they might vote.
After we conducted our research, we shared our results with each candidate. If they disagreed with our conclusion, we agreed to change it in the index if they published a pro-bodily freedom statement and or badge on their campaign website or social media.
Disclaimer: The information in the BFF Index and published on The Womxn Project website has been compiled using the data available to us. We strive for accuracy but, like everyone, can sometimes make mistakes. We make every effort to correct errors promptly when they are brought to our attention. Please contact us at [email protected] to report any errors on our sites.
The Womxn Project’s inclusion of links or references to outside sites or organizations is not intended to in any way endorse the views expressed or products/services offered by those third parties. Similarly, we bear no responsibility for the content or views expressed on sites that link to The Womxn Project and TWP Education Fund content.
Why Now?
Bodily freedom is at risk in Rhode Island. Over the last year, our team has observed hate groups organizing at the local level. This is a strategic approach the far-right frequently employs. They start at the smallest levels of government in hopes they’ll go unnoticed and eventually work their way up to the state level where they’ll have the power to advance their hate-filled values.
But they haven’t gone unnoticed in Rhode Island. Since October 2023, our staff has attended school committee meetings in opposition to Moms For Liberty, a far-right national organization that has a chapter in Rhode Island. This group is against inclusive education and COVID-19 policies, and seeks to ban books it doesn’t agree with.
Voting to maintain or eliminate the Rhode Island Department of Education’s policy regarding LGBTQIA+ students in schools has been on the agenda at every school meeting. This policy promotes an “…educational environment that is safe and free from discrimination for all students,” which includes race, gender identity and expression, and sexual orientation.
This policy is meant to also protect students from bullying and harassment, reduce stigma, and act as a guide for healthy communication between teachers/staff and parent(s)/guardian(s). For the safety of our students, this policy must remain in place.
Your support is needed to continue these efforts. Will you join us in showing up for democracy in our state? See where people who are in your district’s primary election (if you have one) stand.
PS- Early voting is available today (the 9th), and the primary is this Tuesday (the 10th.) If you don’t know what your districts and/or polling places are, you can find that info on the Secretary of State’s website at https://vote.sos.ri.gov/
