PR Statement: TWP Celebrates Roe by Pushing to Get Rid of Barriers to Abortion

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – January 22, 2020 | Download

TWP Celebrates 47th Anniversary of Roe by Pushing Back on Barriers to Abortion Care

Activists call on lawmakers to close gaps in access to truly protect the right to abortion!

When: Wednesday, January 22nd at 3:00pm
Where: RI State House, Rotunda
Speakers: Yojaida Heredia, Sen. Bridget Valverde, Rep. Liana Cassar, and Stephanie Moniz

Statement by The Womxn Project on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade and the launch of a campaign to pass legislation to get rid of bans on health coverage for abortion:

“Today we mark the 47th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court case that affirmed the right to abortion, but what is clear is that right is under attack. For many people pushed to the margins – women of color, low-income people, young people, and immigrant women – the right that we worked so hard to protect has been pushed out of reach.

We are here today to make it clear that we are drawing the line. We worked hard to pass the Reproductive Privacy Act and make sure that no matter what happens at the federal level that here in Rhode Island when someone needs an abortion they not only have the right to control their bodies and futures, but that they can also afford to get timely, safe, compassionate care.

The Womxn Project is proud to work with Senator Bridget Valverde and Representative Liana Cassar to advance legislation to make the right to abortion real for all Rhode Islanders and to ensure access to care for all.

The ability to seek a health care service should not be predicated on where your benefits come from, how much money you make or where you live. We are proud to work with Representative Liana Cassar and Senator Bridget Valverde to advance the “Equity in Abortion Coverage Act”, a bill that will get rid of harmful bans on health coverage for Medicaid benefits and state employees.

It is way past time that we take action to make sure that when a person needs to end a pregnancy, they will have access to safe medical care. Let us honor Roe and make the promise of a right to abortion real for more Rhode Islanders.

“We worked so hard as a movement and in coalition to make sure that in Rhode Island our right to abortion is protected no matter what happens at the federal level. As we celebrate Roe and see the endless attacks on this right, we believe we have to draw the line and fight back. It is time to get rid of harmful policies that take away health coverage for abortion. When people can’t afford care because they are denied benefits that takes away their right to make their own decision. We won’t stand by and let this happen. We will continue to organize and make a change together.” Jordan Hevenor, Co-director, TWP
“However, we feel about abortion, we shouldn’t have laws that deny health coverage just because someone is poor or because they use a public insurance program. We should trust women to make their own decisions about their bodies and about when they become a parent or add to their families. This is not something the government should meddle with, but when laws take away health coverage that is what is happening. These policies take away the right to make our own decisions.” Jocelyn Foye, Co-director, TWP

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Jocelyn Foye and Jordan Hevenor are available for interview by request.

The Womxn Project is honored to lead the campaign to get rid of policies that deny health coverage for abortion.

We are proud to work in collaboration with a dynamic group of partners, including: