Upwards of 4,000 abortion rights advocates joined together at the Bans Off Abortion Rally on Saturday, May 14 to take a stand against the U.S. Supreme Court draft decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, and the sweeping abortion bans that are being passed throughout the country.
The event, hosted by Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties (PPOSBC), served as a venue for supporters to stand against the Supreme Court’s decision to take away freedom from those who can become pregnant, and dismantle the constitutional right to safe, legal abortion.
Noteable speakers included Lieutenant Governor of California Eleni Kounalakis, Congresswoman Katie Porter of District 45, Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris of District 74, and Senator Dave Min of District 37 who all spoke to the importance of each individual making their voice heard by voting in the upcoming California Primary Election on June 7, and the General Election in November.
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. The recently launched Abortion Aid program offers travel, accommodation, and financial assistance to out-of-state patients seeking care at one of PPOSBC’s nine Health Centers.
Dunn also touched on the organization’s preparedness for an expected influx of patients across its service areas, stating that PPOSBC has hired additional staff including a patient navigator, and is set to open a new Health Center to meet community need.
A number of other community leaders took to the stage to energize the crowd and urge continued support of expanding access to abortion care:
- Community Action Fund of PPOSBC Board Member, Ada Briceño
- Orange County Labor Federation Executive Director, Gloria Alvarado
- Orange County Women’s Health Project Founder, Allyson Sonenshine
- UC Irvine Planned Parenthood Gen Action Club Representative, Jeanie Le
- Reverend Jason Cook, Reverend Sarah Petra Halverson-Cano, Clergy for Choice
To close the program, the PPOSBC Public Affairs team took to the stage with six calls to action for those in attendance which all contribute to expanding and ensuring abortion access:
- Help Recruit Advocates for Rapid Response Rallies
Help spread the word and recruit supporters to attend one of the six rapid response rallies that are being organized across Orange and San Bernardino Counties after the Supreme Court releases its final decision. Supporters can commit to taking action here.
- Share Your Story
Talking about and saying the word abortion is one of the best ways to fight the stigma surrounding abortion. Those who are willing can share their own abortion story or words of support here.
- Register to Vote & Vote
Make sure your voice is heard in the upcoming Primary Election by voting on or before Tuesday June 7, 2022. Register to vote and learn more about the voting process here.
- Advocate for Access
Supporting state legislation can helps protect and expand access to safe and legal abortion care. Advocates can send a message to their state representatives here.
- Get Engaged with the Political Arm of PPOSBC
To learn about local electoral and advocacy opportunities, supporters can sign up with the Community Action Fund of Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino here.
- Donate to PPOSBC
To ensure that everyone, no matter what state they are from, can access high-quality, compassionate abortion care, supporters can make a contribution of any amount here.
In addition to those that spoke, a number of local elected leaders were also in attendance to show their support:
- Congressmember Lou Correa, District 46
- Senator Josh Newman, District 29
- Senator Tom Umberg, District 34
- Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley, District 2
- Orange County Supervisor Doug Chaffee, District 4
- Trustee Rebecca “Beckie” Gomez, Orange County Board of Education
- Mayor Sunny Park, City of Buena Park
- Mayor Farrah Khan, City of Irvine
- Mayor Pro-Tem Andrea Marr, City of Costa Mesa
- Mayor Pro-Tem Chris Duncan, City of San Clemente
- Mayor Pro-Tem Diedre Thu Ha Nguyen, City of Garden Grove
- Councilmember Manuel Chavez, City of Costa Mesa
- Councilmember Ahmad Zahra, City of Fullerton
- Councilmember David Penaloza, City of Santa Ana
- Councilmember Jessie Lopez, City of Santa Ana
- Councilmember Kim Nguyen, City of Garden Grove
- Councilmember Thai Viet Phan, City of Santa Ana
- Councilmember Avelino Valencia, City of Anaheim
- Councilmember Kim Carr, City of Huntington Beach
- Councilmember Tiffany Ackley, City of Aliso Viejo
- Trustee Kris Erickson, Orange Unified School Board Trustee
- Trustee Randall Ceniceros, Mountain View School District
- Trustee Al Jabbar, Anaheim Union High School District
- Trustee John Palacio, Santa Ana Unified School District
To learn more about future rallies or how to get involved, visit BansOffAbortion.org.
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