It's Time to Meet the Moment & the Movement - A Message from Sara

A message from our Wisconsin Alliance for Women's Health Director, Sara Finger:

Now what? The draft opinion from the US Supreme Court has been leaked and we have all been awakened to how serious and real the threat to abortion access in the United States is.

For those of us working daily to advocate for women's health and wellbeing, the news of a Supreme Court's draft decision to overturn Roe sadly does come as a surprise. We knew this action was likely coming and we knew the consequences of this would be devastating.

Never before in the history of our country has a constitutional right been given and then taken away.  A half century of established rights that are supported by 70% of Americans is about to be swept away by conservatives.

The result of the Supreme Court's actions in the states, particularly in Wisconsin is devastating. The decision to overturn Roe v. Wade will result in abortions being illegal in our state. In 1849, the Wisconsin State Legislature passed a law criminalizing abortion in the state. This law does not include any exceptions for rape, incest or the health of the pregnant person. The only thing that has stopped this archaic law from being enforceable in Wisconsin is the 1973 Roe decision. Now that Roe is poised to be overturned, this 1879 "zombie law" will come back to life and devastate access to abortion are in our state.

Many of us are angry, devastated, disappointed, anxious, shocked, paralyzed, numb, and feeling helpless and hopeless. We're already grieving the loss of our autonomy, our privacy, and our fundamental rights. But grief is not inaction or surrender. Grief is the opposite of indifference. It truly is time to collectively grieve and it is time to turn that grief into action.

This action by the Supreme Court must serve a clarion call to join the fight for abortion rights and justice. Silence and inaction in this moment is simply not an option. This moment presents a critical opportunity to stand up, speak up, and show up. And to help us engage like never before, here are my suggestions on how to fight back in this moment:

1. Remember that abortion is still legal in Wisconsin. For those who need care, keep and make the appointments for the services you need and deserve. Visit abortionfinder.org to find abortion services near you.
2. Make a plan to vote & persist at the polls! It is critical that we make our voices heard in this year's midterm election. Check your registration status today!
3. Download Impactive App Today! Check out this incredibly easy to use app you can start using today to help your friends and family make a plan to vote in 2022. Use campaign code 260195.
4. Donate now to the Women's Medical Fund Wisconsin if you're able. Link here to support this critical effort to provide financial assistance to Wisconsinites who need abortions but will need significant support traveling to areas where abortion services will still be available.
5. Stay connected & stay tuned. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to get timely updates and info on how to take action.

---

I'm pro-Becky who found out at her 20 week anatomy scan that the infant she had been so excited to bring into this world had developed without life sustaining organs.

I'm pro-Susan who was sexually assaulted on her way home from work, only to come to the horrific realization that her assailant planted his seed in her when she got a positive pregnancy test result a month later.

I'm pro-Theresa who hemorrhaged due to a placental abruption, causing her parents, spouse, and children to have to make the impossible decision on whether to save her or her unborn child.

I'm pro-little Cathy who had her innocence ripped away from her by someone she should have been able to trust and her 11 year old body isn't mature enough to bear the consequence of that betrayal.

I'm pro-Melissa who's working two jobs just to make ends meet and has to choose between bringing another child into poverty or feeding the children she already has because her spouse walked out on her.

I'm pro-Brittany who realizes that she is in no way financially, emotionally, or physically able to raise a child.

I'm pro-Emily who went through IVF, ending up with SIX viable implanted eggs requiring selective reduction in order to ensure the safety of her and a SAFE amount of fetuses.

I'm pro-Jessica who is FINALLY getting the strength to get away from her physically abusive spouse only to find out that she is carrying the monster's child.

I'm pro-Vanessa who went into her confirmation appointment after YEARS of trying to conceive only to hear silence where there should be a heartbeat.

I'm pro-Lindsay who lost her virginity in her sophomore year with a broken condom and now has to choose whether to be a teenage mom or just a teenager.

I'm pro-Courtney who just found out she's already 13 weeks along, but the egg never made it out of her fallopian tube so either she terminates the pregnancy or risks dying from internal bleeding.

I'm pro-Jaime who is non-binary or AFAB and will be at significantly higher risk of suicide going through the body dysphoria of a pregnancy, on top of gender dysphoria.