CT Coalition for Choice Mourns the Loss, Honors the Legacy of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

We must continue the fight for equity and justice inspired by Justice Ginsburg’s leadership

Statement from the CT Coalition for Choice:

“The CT Coalition for Choice joins the nation in mourning the loss of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. We will miss her unbreakable spirit, her fierce commitment to the fight for civil liberties and reproductive rights, and her tireless work to push our country toward equality, freedom, justice, and opportunity for all. Our thoughts today are with her family and anyone deeply affected by her passing.

“Justice Ginsburg was an inspiration and a giant, committing her life to protecting the rights and freedoms of every person in America. Even before joining the Supreme Court as an Associate Justice in 1993, she held a decades-long reputation for opposing gender discrimination and fighting for women’s rights and civil liberties as a litigator and advocate. On the Supreme Court, she became a national icon for her fiery and blistering opinions—often dissents—that demanded the Court and the country do more to safeguard the rights of those who have been left behind.

“While we are saddened by this devastating loss, the CT Coalition for Choice is determined to honor Justice Ginsburg’s legacy by fighting here in Connecticut to achieve her vision of equity and justice. We demand the U.S. Senate honors its own precedent by refusing to vote on a new Supreme Court Justice until after the 2020 election. And, we continue to stand together to protect the fundamental rights of every person, inspired by the integrity and leadership of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.”

David McGuire, executive director, ACLU of Connecticut: 
“Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg leaves a nation changed because of her life’s work. Few people have had as important and lasting an effect on a specific area of the law as Justice Ginsburg, who led the national ACLU’s Women’s Rights Project from its founding until her appointment to the federal bench. She was a titan for reproductive freedom and gender justice, and her blistering dissent when the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act remains a clarion call against racial discrimination in voting. We mourn Justice Ginsburg’s passing—for the nation, her loved ones, and the ACLU upon which she left an indelible mark. It is up to each of us to carry on her legacy by fighting for civil rights and reproductive justice, in this moment and beyond.”  

Gretchen Raffa, senior director, public policy, advocacy & organizing, Planned Parenthood Votes! Connecticut:
“Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s enduring legacy is her tireless work to build a more equitable America. She fought for decades, on and off the Supreme Court, for women’s rights and against sexism and discrimination. She was a champion for sexual and reproductive health and rights for all people. Today we honor that legacy; tomorrow, we need to get to work to preserve the ideals she spent her life defending. This is not an understatement: the fate of our rights, our freedoms, our health care, our bodies, our lives, and our democracy depend on what happens over the coming months.” 

Liz Gustafson, state director, NARAL Pro-Choice Connecticut:
“We are devastated by the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and we extend our deepest condolences to the Justice’s family during this difficult time. We are incredibly grateful for Justice Ginsburg, a legal giant who never stopped defending our right to control our bodies, our lives, and our futures. NARAL Pro-Choice Connecticut is committed to defending all that Justice Ginsburg stood for alongside our allies, as each individual regardless of race, gender identity, sexuality, immigration or economic status must be able to access the essential reproductive health care they need. Let her memory be a revolution. Today we mourn, tomorrow we fight.”