Deborah Dorbert was denied emergency abortion care in Florida and was forced to endure three months of waiting for the birth and death of her child.
Citizens around the country are working hard to get abortion on the ballot, so We, the People --patients with our doctors -- can make decisions about our bodies and lives, not opportunistic Republican politicians and bad faith actors in the anti-abortion forced birth movement.
Florida is an especially f*cked state in the union when it comes to all sorts of human rights issues, from LGBTQ educators and students to immigrants to trans youth, as well as attacks on women's repro health care, with a new Gov DeSantis-signed 6-week abortion ban currently in legal limbo.
Florida's existing 15-week abortion ban has already caused unthinkable harm. In addition to Deborah Dorbert's harrowing story, friends Anya Cook and Shanae Smith-Cunningham and Anabely Lopes share theirs, as well. Read their stories, and bear witness to the cruelty of erroneous abortion bans -- the disastrous effects of which are wreaking havoc all over the country.
In response to Republican attacks on abortion rights in Florida, the folks at Floridians Protecting Freedom are making strides to get abortion rights on the ballot in order to codify them into the Florida state constitution. From their website:
About Floridians Protecting Freedom
Floridians Protecting Freedom (FPF) is a statewide campaign of allied organizations and concerned citizens working together to protect Floridians’ access to reproductive health care and defend the right to bodily autonomy. FPF recognizes that all Floridians deserve the freedom to make personal medical decisions, free of government intrusion. Our citizen-led ballot initiative, the “Amendment to Limit Government Interference with Abortion,” seeks to further codify that right into Florida law by creating a constitutional amendment that explicitly blocks the implementation of laws that prohibit, delay, or restrict abortion access.
So, calling all Floridians! Register to vote, and then head over to Floridians Protecting Freedom to learn how to sign and submit the petition to get abortion rights on the ballot in 2024. And you can help collect petitions! This would be a huge help for busy professionals and the elderly. Click through to their volunteer page to sign up and learn more.
There's also an amazing Florida group called Black in Repro -- an advocacy coalition consisting of "doulas, midwives, public health professionals, medical practitioners and other Black women advocates" -- that trains Florida women to lobby legislators, educate their communities, and build partnerships. From 19th News:
In a state where Black women suffer pregnancy-related deaths at nearly twice the overall rate, the group came together because they knew there needed to be a statewide coalition to work on behalf of the reproductive health needs and concerns of Black women. Their latest point of concern: a six-week abortion ban that has so far been held up by litigation but that poses higher health risks to Black women in the state.
Read this to continue!
Aaaaannnnnnd.... go Florida! You got this!