The news is out. It’s been out for a while now. Many people were hoping that this wouldn’t happen. And then it happened. Roe V Wade got overturned.
So, how did it happen? Who leaked what? When and why did it happen? Which states are affected? What can we do?
Who leaked what: In early May, it became known that Roe V Wade was going to be overturned based on a leaked document. As to who leaked it, that person remains unknown.
How and when it happened: On June 24th, 2022, the Supreme Court overturned Roe V Wade, which grants women the right to terminate a pregnancy and provided a constitutional right to an abortion. Specifically, the Supreme Court justices that voted to overturn Roe V Wade were Justice Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh. The justices that voted for it to not be overturned are Stephen G. Breyer, Elena Kagan, and Sonia Sotomayor.
While overturning Roe V Wade does not make abortion illegal nationwide, it does grant states the right to choose whether or not abortion can happen in their state.
Which states you cannot get an abortion in as of right now (illegal):
Kentucky, Louisiana, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Texas.
Which states may be affected now:
West Virginia and Wisconsin.
Which states will be affected in the future (meaning you cannot get an abortion there in the future, and it will be illegal in the future):
Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Missouri, North Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, and Wyoming.
Which states have laws protecting abortion/where it is legal:
Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Columbia, Florida (however, there was a bill passed that stops abortions 15 weeks after a period; there is a lawsuit currently challenging it), Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas (22 weeks), Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska (20 weeks), Nevada (24 weeks), New Hampshire (24 weeks), New Jersey, New Mexico, New York (24 weeks), North Carolina (legal for now, 20 weeks), Ohio (legal for now, 20 weeks), Mississippi (legal for now, 20 weeks), Georgia (legal for now, 20 weeks), Michigan (legal for now), Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina (legal for now), Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.
What can we actually do?
Donate to places such as Planned Parenthood, https://abortionfunds.org/funds/, https://secure.actblue.com/donate/supportabortionfunds, https://www.sistersong.net/, and other places that support women’s rights to safe and accessible abortion.
Vote for leaders and legislators that support sexual and reproductive health rights.
Write, call, or tweet your politicians.
Support one another in any way you can, if you can. We’re all in this together.
