Bans Off Our Bodies Rally to Be Held in Harrisburg on October 2

[Harrisburg, PA] — On Saturday, October 2 from 11 am to 1 pm, Planned Parenthood Keystone and its coalition partners will host a rally in Harrisburg to protest the Texas abortion ban. The Texas abortion ban is the most extreme abortion ban in the country and unconstitutionally bans abortion at six weeks — before many people even know they are pregnant. The event is one of hundreds planned across the country in a national day of mobilization to defend reproductive rights.

The rally will be held at the Capitol steps in Harrisburg. Featured speakers of the rally include Attorney General Josh Shapiro, Council Member Shamaine Daniels, City of Harrisburg, Rabbi Audrey Korotkin, PhD, Norma Vasquez, Founder of Mama Le Lechera, Sarah Hammond, Patient Storyteller and Dr. Catherine Easton, OBGYN and Planned Parenthood Keystone Board Member. Joining Planned Parenthood Keystone are co-hosts Women’s March on Washington, Pennsylvania; Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center; League of Women Voters, Pennsylvania; YWCA Lancaster; Cumberland Valley Rising; Bans Off Our Bodies – Central PA; Women’s Law Project; Women’s Medical Fund; Office of the Attorney General, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; Unitarian Church of Harrisburg. Planned Parenthood Keystone and its co-hosts thank WOMEN’S WAY as the event’s lead sponsor.

“What happened in Texas is a grave injustice to patients and an alarming reality check that we need to mobilize to defend abortion and reproductive care. On Saturday, October 2 we will be joined by our coalition partners in the movement to send a message that abortion is health care and these bans are unconstitutional,” stated Melissa Reed, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Keystone.

“The effort to ban abortion in Pennsylvania and prevent American women from being able to make their own health care decisions is here — and we will do everything we can to defeat this attack on women’s rights,” said Attorney General Josh Shapiro. “We are the frontline, and as Attorney General I will always defend the rule of law and protect Pennsylvanians’ constitutional rights.”

More unsettling is that the Texas abortion ban includes a “sue thy neighbor” portion which means people who help or intend to help someone get an abortion after six weeks in Texas could be sued by a neighbor, distant relative, abusive partner, or even a stranger from out of state — and collect $10,000 for each successful claim.

“Right now, protecting reproductive freedom is more crucial than ever. As more states begin to propose anti-abortion bills, including Pennsylvania, we must take action to fight laws like S.B.8 from going into effect elsewhere. WOMEN’S WAY is proud to stand with PPKeystone and their coalition partners as the Lead Sponsor for their Bans Off Our Bodies rally as we mobilize together to defend reproductive rights and abortion access for all.” – Diane Cornman-Levy, Executive Director of WOMEN’S WAY.

For more information about the rally, please visit the Facebook event page at https://fb.me/e/DBif5zP8 or email [email protected].

For more information about services and programs at Planned Parenthood Keystone, find them on socials @ppkeystone, visit their website ppkeystone.org, or call 1-800-230-PLAN.

Planned Parenthood Keystone’s nine health centers in Central and Eastern Pennsylvania offer a wide range of sexual and reproductive health care services, and more than 24,000 patients annually depend on Planned Parenthood Keystone for expert, affordable, compassionate health care. You can visit ppkeystone.org to find the health center nearest you.