June 24, 2023
A message from Heart of LA Democratic Club president Lindsay Carlson, on the one year anniversary of the Dobbs decision which reversed Roe v. Wade.
On the first anniversary of the Dobbs decision, in which the Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade and its progeny, I am reflecting on how much work remains to be done in pursuit of equal rights for women under the law.
Recently, I listened to a podcast that really hit home for me. If you are a person who can become pregnant, it simply is not safe for you to live in many parts of this country. We often focus on the early abortion bans - for example, at 6 weeks, usually before a person even knows they are pregnant. Certainly, forcing someone to carry a pregnancy to term can have devastating impacts on their mental health and economic situation. But what about the pregnancies further along? In many cases, the decision to terminate later in a pregnancy is a very difficult one to begin with - and travel to another jurisdiction that would allow termination could be extremely risky to the pregnant person's health. So they're left with what choice, exactly? To have to be at serious risk of death before they can obtain the medical intervention that they need?
It was not that long ago - 6 years, to be precise - that I was pregnant with Archie. I was 37 (of "advanced maternal age," they'll tell you), and early genetic testing for serious fetal abnormalities had come back inconclusive. I was about 15 weeks along when I cried on the phone with my mom - worried about whether there was something seriously wrong - and what choice would I make if there was? Fortunately, I was able to go in for an amniocentesis that confirmed we were in the clear, a few weeks later. And, fortunately, I had the means and ability to seek appropriate medical care if I had needed it. But there are people in the same position I was, all over the country, who won't be so fortunate. To be sure, unequal access for different populations of women has always been a problem. On a national scale, we are absolutely going the wrong direction now - when we should be doing everything we can to make abortion care more accessible to everyone who needs it.
The modern anti-choice movement grew out of white supremacy and vicious backlash against feminists (for more on that, read The Lie That Binds). It never ceases to floor me how little value this country places on women's autonomy, and even our lives. Keep in mind, though, we still have so much progress to make within the Democratic party as well, and even in our deep blue enclaves - simply being pro-choice isn't enough. From politicians on "our" side who are allergic to simply saying the word "abortion," to those who characterize reproductive rights and reproductive justice as "social" issues and those of us fighting for our own right to bodily autonomy as part of the "political establishment," to donors and community and party leaders who tell women we're "too green" while at the same time uplifting much younger and completely inexperienced men, to opportunistic candidates for office in hot pursuit of a seal of approval and free labor from the "women's club," to those who engage in vicious character assassination against women leaders who they perceive to be non-compliant - we are nowhere close to where we need to be, and we need a feminist club like ours as much as we ever have.
As I often mention, this club grew out of the volunteer base of Hillary Clinton's campaign for president in 2016 - people, mostly women, of all backgrounds who saw their hopes reflected in her candidacy. We also saw the profound danger that Donald Trump and the Republican party posed to our well-being, and democracy itself. We knew what was at stake, and we fought like hell to stop it. Then after picking ourselves up, we kept going. And we've been fighting like hell for women's rights and equal representation, ever since.
Heart of LA isn't a social club. It's a movement. And we're here to get shit done.
Thank you to all of you who are current members of the club, your support keeps us going. If your membership has lapsed, there is no time better than now to rejoin (feel free to contact us by email if you're not sure). And if you're receiving our emails and haven't joined us yet, what are you waiting for? Join us now - www.heartladems.org/join.
Lindsay
Recently, I listened to a podcast that really hit home for me. If you are a person who can become pregnant, it simply is not safe for you to live in many parts of this country. We often focus on the early abortion bans - for example, at 6 weeks, usually before a person even knows they are pregnant. Certainly, forcing someone to carry a pregnancy to term can have devastating impacts on their mental health and economic situation. But what about the pregnancies further along? In many cases, the decision to terminate later in a pregnancy is a very difficult one to begin with - and travel to another jurisdiction that would allow termination could be extremely risky to the pregnant person's health. So they're left with what choice, exactly? To have to be at serious risk of death before they can obtain the medical intervention that they need?
It was not that long ago - 6 years, to be precise - that I was pregnant with Archie. I was 37 (of "advanced maternal age," they'll tell you), and early genetic testing for serious fetal abnormalities had come back inconclusive. I was about 15 weeks along when I cried on the phone with my mom - worried about whether there was something seriously wrong - and what choice would I make if there was? Fortunately, I was able to go in for an amniocentesis that confirmed we were in the clear, a few weeks later. And, fortunately, I had the means and ability to seek appropriate medical care if I had needed it. But there are people in the same position I was, all over the country, who won't be so fortunate. To be sure, unequal access for different populations of women has always been a problem. On a national scale, we are absolutely going the wrong direction now - when we should be doing everything we can to make abortion care more accessible to everyone who needs it.
The modern anti-choice movement grew out of white supremacy and vicious backlash against feminists (for more on that, read The Lie That Binds). It never ceases to floor me how little value this country places on women's autonomy, and even our lives. Keep in mind, though, we still have so much progress to make within the Democratic party as well, and even in our deep blue enclaves - simply being pro-choice isn't enough. From politicians on "our" side who are allergic to simply saying the word "abortion," to those who characterize reproductive rights and reproductive justice as "social" issues and those of us fighting for our own right to bodily autonomy as part of the "political establishment," to donors and community and party leaders who tell women we're "too green" while at the same time uplifting much younger and completely inexperienced men, to opportunistic candidates for office in hot pursuit of a seal of approval and free labor from the "women's club," to those who engage in vicious character assassination against women leaders who they perceive to be non-compliant - we are nowhere close to where we need to be, and we need a feminist club like ours as much as we ever have.
As I often mention, this club grew out of the volunteer base of Hillary Clinton's campaign for president in 2016 - people, mostly women, of all backgrounds who saw their hopes reflected in her candidacy. We also saw the profound danger that Donald Trump and the Republican party posed to our well-being, and democracy itself. We knew what was at stake, and we fought like hell to stop it. Then after picking ourselves up, we kept going. And we've been fighting like hell for women's rights and equal representation, ever since.
Heart of LA isn't a social club. It's a movement. And we're here to get shit done.
Thank you to all of you who are current members of the club, your support keeps us going. If your membership has lapsed, there is no time better than now to rejoin (feel free to contact us by email if you're not sure). And if you're receiving our emails and haven't joined us yet, what are you waiting for? Join us now - www.heartladems.org/join.
Lindsay
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ABOUT THE HEART OF LA DEMOCRATIC CLUB
Founded in March 2017, the Heart of L.A. Democratic Club was created in recognition of the growing awareness within the Democratic Party that women should be fully and equally represented in local, state, and national politics. The Heart of L.A. Democratic Club is open to all Democrats who subscribe to the club’s goals and purposes regardless of their gender identity. The mission of the Heart of L.A. Democratic Club is to help make the Democratic Party and its elected officials responsive to, and responsible for, the needs of all people, particularly, though not exclusively, women in our community. In addition to endorsing candidates and organizing for those candidates, the Heart of L.A. Democratic Club actively participates in issues advocacy, community outreach, and voter education. The Club’s monthly meetings feature guest speakers such as Democratic elected officials and candidates, and experts in policy areas of interest to women - including reproductive justice, homelessness, voter registration, immigration, criminal justice reform and more. For more information about The Heart of LA Democratic Club, visit online: Website: HeartLADems.org. Facebook: Facebook.com/HeartLADems Twitter: @HeartLADems Instagram: @HeartLADems |
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