Not sure about you, but I don’t get much sleep on election night. Wins and losses, hope and heartbreak, it is all on display. There are moments to celebrate with voters showing up for reproductive freedom in Kentucky, Vermont, Michigan and California – and as we await final results it looks likely Montana will defeat an anti-abortion ballot measure. There was also a win on wages for tipped workers in DC and it looks like Colorado will secure free, healthy school meals for all public school kids. We also saw infuriating losses. Louisiana voters failed to pass a measure banning slavery as criminal punishment. Huh?! Fortunately, Tennessee did the right thing on that question.
Many of us were watching races for the US Congress knowing that there are big questions that will come up at the federal level. The US House and Senate are still waiting on key races to be called though here at home The Womxn Project supporter Seth Magaziner is headed to DC. We do not endorse, but certainly appreciate having champions from our state there with upcoming votes on marriage equality and federal protections for the right to abortion.
There were a number of individual candidate races that will have an impact on the ability to advocate for the policies our families need. We were watching and likely each have opinions about how they went, but here’s the good and bad news – the real work starts now! For updates on different races, click here.
Now let’s do something TWP style, take action with us!
Governor Dan McKee won re-election. He has made a public commitment to a budget without bans on health coverage for abortion. We need him to do more than say the right thing. We need him to DO the right thing.
- TAKE ACTION: Call and email Governor McKee right away (401-222-2080 and [email protected]): “I’m calling to say congratulations on your re-election. Now it is time to come through on a big and critical promise. Get and keep bans on health coverage for abortion out of the FY 24 budget and put the full weight of the governor’s office behind passing the Equality in Abortion Coverage Act, so we do not have to keep fighting these harmful policies and can truly protect the right to abortion in our state. Thank you.”
It absolutely matters who was elected, but what also matters is that starting right now we make sure that every local, state and federal officials hears from us about our challenges, our needs, our dreams and what it will take to create a healthier, more just Rhode Island!
So call and email the governor RIGHT AWAY! We should also call on EVERY elected official in Rhode Island to make their stance on the Equality in Abortion Coverage Act (EACA) clear and public! We will be providing tools to help you, but in the meantime be ready to shake things up and get it done in the 2023 session! Mark your calendars RIGHT NOW to join us on Tuesday, January 3rd for the first day. We need to show up and make it clear that we will keep showing up until the EACA is passed!
Here’s what we know: our work and the work for reproductive rights and justice is bigger than the ballot box. We must continue to make our voices heard in our communities, at the State House, in courts – everywhere! We must speak out to dismantle white supremacy and any system that thrives on oppression.We must continue to fight for culture and policy change to honor and protect our bodily autonomy – and do whatever it takes to care for us!
• • • • • • • • • • •
Join us for Trans Day of Joy this Saturday, November 12th in South Kingstown! This is an outdoor event for community members, families, and allies to gather around resilience, love, and acceptance. This will feature speakers, local organizations and resources, and opportunities for further advocacy and action.
When: Sat, Nov. 12, 11:30a – 12:30p*
(rain date is Nov 13 at 11a)
Location: Contemporary Theater Co. – Amphitheater
(327 Main St, South Kingstown)
Parking: Street parking on Main St- should be plentiful
The road to liberation is long and there is real work to be done for us all to live with health and dignity. There will be struggles in the days ahead, but we will do what we always do – we will speak up, organize, tell our stories and push for change. We will continue to come together not only to leverage our collective strength, but also to be there for each other.
• • • • • • • • • • •
Together, we will center love and healing, with the goal of continuing to make a difference. We are prepared to rise up and resist if that is what is necessary for a brighter and more just future but it is care and compassion with the goal of individual’s right to their own definition of dignity that drives us to our core! Join us!