Sarah: People are mad and hurt and scared and upset, and there are a lot of ways to help, including caring for ourselves and our communities. Please remember that this is a space for us to feel safe, and to care for this community from within it.
TL;DR, don’t be tools please.
Amanda: If you’re looking for ways to help, here are a few links:
Get Involved
Abortion Access Front: They’re offering a workshop on the 17th called Operation Save Abortion.
National Network of Abortion Funds: Tomorrow, June 30th, they’re offering a Webinar called “Building Power with Abortion Funds.”
Digital Defense Fund: They are helping to place and connect volunteers for the abortion access movement.
Donate
Indigenous Women Rising: An abortion fund specifically for Indigenous communities in the US and Canada.
National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice: A reproductive justice organization targeting Latina/x communities.
National Network of Abortion Funds: They have a long list of abortion funds and networks you can donate to, especially if you want to focus your donations to states that have trigger laws in place.
SisterSong: A reproductive justice organization founded and run by women of color.
Additional Resources
Roe v. Wade: What You Can Do Google Doc
…
Sarah: Per Barnraisers Project: “White supremacy is great at isolating us and perfectionism does the same thing.”
There are lot of ways to get involved, and lots of ways to help.
Got links to share? Local action you’re involved in? Suggestions? Please share them with us. And please look after yourselves, ok?
A genuine question, because I’m struggling: how do you not fall into complete Everything Is Hopeless And The World Is Doomed level of despair?
Because my brain sure wants to, and I know that’s not a healthy place to go.
###
I’ve also had to unfollow some people on Twitter who were like “how can you be care about a movie or a band at a time like this???”
I don’t know, Brad, maybe because I’m capable of caring about more than one thing at once.
@ Varian Ross
Taking some action is a great antidote to despair & feeling powerless. Act on the lists above and be sure you’re registered to vote (this means checking your registration status on your state website or with your local election official.
Americans living in the USA, go to vote.gov. Those overseas, go to FVAP.gov. When you are sure you are registered, find some other people and help them register. There’s lots to do, and more hands to do it are alway welcome.
P.S. thanks to Amanda and al the smart people for this chance to do something!
@Varian Ross
Do one or two things that are within your power to contribute to the cause (donate, write a letter, attend a training) or help women in general and then modify your online experience.
Use filters to block news sites, specific triggering topics, and people. This might be the time to splurge and pay for ad blocking if you can. Even if the posts or ads are in support of abortion rights, they might send you into a spiral and that is helpful to no one. Laying in bed at night feeling angry and helpless just means you have less energy in the morning to do good in the world.
Do what you can and then take care of your mental health.
Thank you for the resources and suggestions for where we can best help. I live in a “trigger state” and this is the advice I’m giving my three daughters (all in their twenties) right now:
1. Assume that everything you do (not just in terms of sexual/reproductive activity) is “discoverable” and you have no expectations of privacy. It sounds paranoid but delete period tracking apps (if you use them) from your phone. If you have to purchase pregnancy tests or Plan B, use cash if at all possible, so there’s no electronic money trail. If you are pregnant, especially if you plan to terminate the pregnancy, confide in only a few trusted people. Some states are instituting “bounty” programs where people are paid for notifying law enforcement of potential abortions. The possibility of a payday (I think the Texas law offers $10,000) will make plenty of people turn against their acquaintances.
2. Never go to a “Crisis Pregnancy Center” or any other place that provides “Counseling” to pregnant women. These are run by anti-abortion groups and all they want to do is get your personal information and make you watch gruesome videos.
3. Don’t engage the anti-abortion crowd on social media. Hate and the desire to “stick it to the libs” give people massive amounts of energy to abuse and dox you. Don’t waste your time trying to reason someone out of something they weren’t reasoned into in the first place. In fact, stay off of political social media if possible. By the same token, don’t debate with right-wing coworkers–it will just be upsetting to you and won’t change their minds about anything.
4. Use condoms along with your current birth control. Yes, I know it’s weird to tell your steady/exclusive boyfriend that you’re going to have to go back to condoms, but two layers of protection are better than one.
5. Vote in every election–and NEVER vote for any candidate (including for local/municipal positions) who is a member of the party that treats women as nothing but compulsory baby incubators.
I hate that I’m having to do this. I was 15 when the Roe v. Wade ruling was handed down. I will be 65 in a few months. We’ve been dealing with this shit for 50 years and, sadly, it might take another 50 to undo the damage that is being done by the appalling Supreme Court. Take action and cling to hope.
A always Triple D you are a font of useful information. I still remember my mom taking our neighbor to her appointment, as we were they only two cars family in the neighborhood. Two kids, two elderly parents with dementia and a husband who spent more time working or with his brothers all in a three bedroom house. Both of them cried all the way there and all the way home. It broke her heart, but Lee still says it was the best decision she ever made for herself.
I can not believe we are having to fight this battle all over again.
The Cognitive Dissonance Podcast (a skeptic’s podcast) and the Opening Arguments (a legal podcast to help understand the news) are hosting a live stream Friday (7/1) at 8pm EST to raise funds to help pregnant people receive reproductive care in the south, the midwest, and Texas. https://www.dissonancepod.com/
https://openargs.com/
Opening Arguments is also starting a charity to grow a legal community dedicated to regaining and maintaining civil rights.
https://oafund.org/
Thank you for your wonderful list of resources.
Thank you for the great recommendations. I plan to check out the Digital Defense Fund – that is the kind of thing I have been hoping to find, because I work in tech and have been hoping to do something behind the scenes.
Adding to DiscoDollyDeb’s first point: Try not to leave a digital trail that prosecutors could use against you. Don’t search for abortion or pregnancy services, even on “private” browsers. Remember your devices leave location trails, even if location is turned off; leave them behind if accessing services. Also, HIPAA will not protect your medical records from a subpoena.
Probably not much of an actual help, but if you need something to help you calm down from time to time, I have a free pattern available in my shop, a sigil to protect reproductive rights: https://www.etsy.com/your/shops/SavingGraces/tools/listings/view:table,stats:true/1250071589 If you find it therapeutic to stab something multiple times it may be helpful, and who knows if we make enough of them we might actually hex the patriarchy. It is free by request of the original artist who designed the sigil, and you can also get it from her shop https://www.etsy.com/shop/MacabreMagick Convo me at https://www.etsy.com/shop/SavingGraces and I will send you the PDF download.