Chaumtoli Huq
“There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives. Our struggles are particular, but we are not alone.”
Jasmine Wali
When Roe v. Wade was overturned, advocates across the political spectrum declared that the foster care system would be overwhelmed by an influx of “unwanted” children. Adoption became a central talking point. Anti-abortion proponents stated that adoption was a solution for these families, and that foster and adoption systems needed to be strengthened. Supporters of reproductive choice pointed out the seeming hypocrisy of the “pro-life” movement by highlighting all the children awaiting adoption in foster care.
Elias Fox Bova Schmidt
When the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision was leaked on May 2, 2022, I was sitting at my desk, studying for my final exam in my last semester of law school. I had just accepted a fellowship at a reproductive justice organization but I knew that, as a trans man, I was somewhat out of place. I had already felt the hesitancy from many within the reproductive rights landscape to acknowledge that, like cisgender women, trans men require safe and legal access to abortion. As soon as I got the Twitter notification about the leak, I knew that trans men would be among some of the first communities to be further erased in the reactions to the decision.
Amanda Allen
On June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court overruled a half century of precedent with its decision in Jackson Women’s Health Organization v. Dobbs. The Dobbs ruling eliminated the constitutional right to abortion and has had immediate, devastating impacts on the ground. One of the focuses of The Lawyering Project since Dobbs has been to advise abortion providers, abortion funds, and practical support organizations on the risks involved in continuing to provide care—and support patients accessing care—in this increasingly hostile environment. Our perspective on the catastrophic impacts of this ruling on the ground is based on our partnership with these groups.