To mark the one-year anniversary of the overturning of Roe v. Wade, hundreds of abortion rights advocates joined together on Friday, June 23 and Saturday, June 24 to take a stand against the unjust attacks on reproductive rights.
Friday’s event in Redlands, hosted by Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties (PPOSBC), served as a venue for supporters to come together in defiance of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the constitutional right to abortion, and hear from different local leaders about how these attacks on our personal rights and bodily autonomy directly impact the LGBTQIA+ and Latinx community. Attendees also had the opportunity to hear personal abortion stories from local community members.
Notable speakers included:
- Emcee: Redlands Councilmember Denise Davis
- Guest Speaker: Assembly Majority Leader Eloise Gomez-Reyes
- Sendy Sanchez, CHAISR Director of Policy & Projects
- Gabriel Maldonado, TruEvolution CEO
- Addison Davidove, Professor at the University of Redlands
- Kristin Washington, San Bernardino County Democratic Party Chair
- Alma Rosa, local Poet
- Madeleine Simmons, local Poet
- Christel Reyna, local abortion advocate
PPOSBC President & CEO Jon Dunn also addressed the crowd expressing the organization’s steadfast commitment to ensuring that everyone, no matter what state they live in, has access to the care they need. In its inaugural year, the Abortion Aid program provided travel, accommodation, and financial assistance to 450 out-of-state patients from 32 states who sought care at one of PPOSBC’s nine health centers.
In addition to those that spoke, a number of local elected leaders were also in attendance to show their support:
- Councilmember Robert Torres, City of Pomona
- Trustee Robert Garcia, Etiwanda School District
- Trustee Frank Reyes, San Bernardino Community College District
- Trustee Randall Ceniceros, Mountain View School District
- Director Susan Longville, San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District
In partnership with OC Pride, PPOSBC hosted Pride Speaks at the Frida Cinema in Santa Ana on June 24, which featured a variety of programs highlighting the importance of intersectionality and inclusivity in the fight for social justice.
Presentations included:
- Rainbow Recess: a LGBTQ+ Sex Ed trivia game hosted by PPOSBC’s Community Education and Outreach Department
- Beyond the Binary: a panel exploring the intersections of queerness, gender-expansiveness, and abortion care, and how these marginalized communities are disproportionately impacted by restrictive abortion laws
- Revolutionary Rhythm, Poetry for Social Transformation: where local spoken word artists shared their work centered around reproductive justice, LGBTQ+ rights, racial justice, and other social justice issues
- Campaigning for Equality: a panel of community leaders and experts about the importance of electing champion candidates at all levels of government including our school boards as anti-trans, anti-Pride, and anti-LGBTQ+ policies in general increase across the country
- Get Creative & Challenge Stereotypes: an interactive zine-making workshop to explore how art can be used to challenge stigma and stereotypes related to reproductive health and rights
To close out the day, YUQ Studios, a local drag troupe entertained guests with a high-energy show.
Notable speakers throughout the day’s sessions included:
- Krista Hollinger, PPOSBC Chief Operating Officer
- Adam Tallabas, OCYD Chair
- Stephanie Camacho-Van Dyke, LGBTQ Center Director
- Christine Parker, ACLU Staff Attorney
- Craig Loftin, CSUF Professor
- Alyesha Wise, Poet
- Pastiche Queen, Poet
- Robert Armenta Jr., PPOSBC SVP of Public Affairs
- Dr. Shannon Connolly, PPOSBC Associate Medical Director
- Stephanie Wade, Board of Directors, Lavender Dems
- Billie Joe Wright, High School Teacher & Community Activist
- Trustee Hector Bustos, Santa Ana Unified School District Board of Education
These two days of action highlighted the power of community and by standing and working together, we can fight back.
If you’d like to join the fight, here’s five ways to contribute to expanding and ensuring abortion access.
- Your voice is your vote. By registering to vote and voting for progressive, pro-choice candidates up and down the ballot, you can help to ensure and expand access to abortion care.
- Help break the stigma around abortion by sharing your own abortion or reproductive healthcare story.
- Find out who represents you both locally and in the federal government. You can call them and urge them to support legislation that expands and protects access to reproductive health care.
- By giving to your local Planned Parenthood, you can help provide high-quality compassionate care directly to your community.
- Get involved with the Community Action Fund, the political arm of Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties by signing up for action alerts.
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