FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Monday, June 10, 2024
Contact: Jocelyn Foye, Executive Director
The Womxn Project
[email protected]
[Providence, RI] –Statement from The Womxn Project on the RI Healthcare Shield Act advancing to the House floor.
The Womxn Project (TWP) commends the House Judiciary Committee vote moving the Provider Protection Shield Bill out of committee and to the House for a final vote this coming Wednesdays. This critical legislation, once enacted, will safeguard Rhode Island healthcare providers who deliver reproductive and gender-affirming care from lawsuits and criminal prosecution by out-of-state entities.
“The Womxn Project acknowledges the vital work undertaken by our coalition partners within the legislature and Speaker Shekarchi, while we concentrated on mobilizing and educating the community in support of the bill,” said Jocelyn Foye, TWP’s Executive Director. “TWP remains committed to organizing in Rhode Island communities where anti-choice groups are actively campaigning as a part of our efforts this summer so anti-transgender activists do not succeed in overturning protections within the school systems.”
Ben Brown, MD, Asst. Professor OB/GYN and board member of TWP Education Fund, says of the bill, “The RI Health Care Provider Shield Act will help ensure that Rhode Island healthcare workers are not targeted by politicians in other states, simply for providing evidence-based care. Making sure healthcare workers can do their jobs without fear is essential to secure access to health care for all Rhode Islanders.”
Jodi Glass, of RI’s Old Lesbians Organizing for Change, a community partner crucial in moving this Shield Bill through the legislature concurs with Dr. Brown, “I want to thank our legislators for their support of this crucial shield bill for our medical providers, patients and all citizens, and I urge complete support through our Assembly. It is our time to be vigilant.”
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Jocelyn Foye is available for interview upon request.
About the Womxn Project
The Womxn Project (TWP) is a statewide organization dedicated to building a robust movement that leverages the power of art, activism, and advocacy to shift the balance of power and shape policies impacting our lives and the lives of our neighbors. We are committed to upholding the principles of reproductive rights and bodily autonomy by promoting intersectional equity.
