While many of us were just getting ready for bed Monday night, we learned of a leaked draft of an opinion by Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito indicating that the court has plans to overturn Roe v. Wade. The 98-page document, obtained by Politico, was drafted in February and poses one of the most direct hits on abortion since Roe’s 1973 decision.
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“The looming loss of reproductive rights is widespread, with 13 states having trigger laws that will ban abortion the moment the court allows it. But as of now, Roe v. Wade remains the law (except in Texas, which the Supreme Court allowed to implement a six-week abortion ban last fall), and it will do so until a final, non-draft, not-leaked opinion is officially released,” Laura Clawson writes for Daily Kos.
Here’s a list of some organizations fighting for reproductive rights and the right to safe and legal abortion.
Whole Woman’s Health Alliance (WWHA) is a nonprofit offering abortion services and advocacy to eradicate the stigma around abortion. WWHA also provides financial support for patients who cannot afford the entire cost of abortion via the Stigma Relief Fund. WWHA also works in states with the strictest regulations on abortion. Part of the organization’s work is fighting anti-abortion lawmakers, working with other abortion providers, and as allies and co-plaintiffs in lawsuits in states such as Texas and Indiana. WWHA has clinics in Virginia, Texas, Indiana, and Minnesota.
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Jane’s Due Process helps young people in Texas “navigate parental consent laws” and obtain an abortion or birth control. Additionally, they provide free legal support and education on sexual and reproductive health.
Cobalt is a nonprofit dedicated to abortion access in Colorado.
“This is exactly what we feared and why it was so important for Colorado to protect the fundamental right to abortion in Colorado law with the Reproductive Health Equity Act,” Cobalt President Karen Middleton said.
“We have warned legislators and the public alike that the Supreme Court was poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, and this further confirms it. Regardless of what the Supreme Court ultimately decides with a final decision, because of RHEA, Coloradans have the right to abortion access affirmed in our state law. This makes the urgent need to put the right to abortion in our Constitution in 2024 even more of a priority, and to hold accountable those who didn’t support abortion access with RHEA in 2022,” Middleton added.
SisterSong: Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective is an Atlanta-based membership organization dedicated to fighting for reproductive issues impacting marginalized communities. Launched in 1997 by 16 organizations of women of color, SisterSong is the largest national multi-ethnic reproductive justice collective. The organization's mission is to “strengthen and amplify the collective voices of Indigenous women and women of color to achieve reproductive justice by eradicating reproductive oppression and securing human rights.”
Carolina Abortion Fund (CAF) was founded in 2011 by a group of “clinic defenders who were tired of seeing patients delaying or canceling their appointments just because they couldn’t afford the full cost out of pocket.” CAF operates a confidential helpline to help those in North and South Carolina access safe abortion care.
Arkansas Abortion Support Network (AASN) was founded in 2016. It’s an all-volunteer nonprofit comprised of three abortion organizations that help escort patients to Arkansas’s only abortion clinic, provide for costs of procedures, and offer travel, lodging, and child care.
“It’s important to know that abortion is still legal, if not easily accessible, in Arkansas. It’s important to know that this opinion is a draft and not a final decision… It’s also important to know that this is serious and very scary. This draft opinion seems unlikely to change and Roe will fall next month,” a statement from AASN reads. Adding: “We expect the need for abortion funding to go through the roof. Not only will all Arkansans in need of abortion care be forced to travel out of state, increasing logistical costs, but the remaining clinics will be overwhelmed and will likely have to schedule abortions further out, increasing the cost of the procedure.”
Upon learning of the drafted decision by Justice Alito obtained by Politico Monday, NARAL Pro-Choice America Mini Timmaraju wrote:
“This is the most ominous and alarming sign yet that our nation’s highest court is poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, ending the constitutional right to abortion as we know it and ripping away our freedom to decide if, when, and how to raise our families. While this is a draft opinion and abortion is still legal, we need to brace for a future where more and more people are punished and criminalized for seeking and providing abortion care. Now more than ever, we must support those working to provide abortion care and elect champions who will relentlessly fight for reproductive freedom and take bold action to safeguard abortion rights.”
The National Network of Abortion Funds helps provide financial and logistical access to abortions for those who need it. Access can include funding for an abortion, transportation, child care, translation, doula services, and a place to stay if a pregnant person is forced to travel to get an abortion.
A statement from Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America:
“Let's be clear: Abortion is legal. It is still your right.
“This leaked opinion is horrifying and unprecedented, and it confirms our worst fears: that the Supreme Court is prepared to end the constitutional right to abortion by overturning Roe v. Wade. While we have seen the writing on the wall for decades, it is no less devastating and comes just as anti-abortion rights groups unveil their ultimate plan to ban abortion nationwide. Understand that Planned Parenthood and our partners have been preparing for every possible outcome in this case and are built for the fight. Planned Parenthood health centers remain open, abortion is currently still legal, and we will continue to fight like hell to protect the right to access safe, legal abortion.”
Advocates for Youth, founded in 1980, the nonprofit fights for sexual health, rights, and justice for young people. One of the programs Advocates for Youth created is called Abortion Out Loud. It began as a storytelling campaign with over 1,500 shared stories, used to educate policymakers on decisions about abortion access.
“As I have shared my story around the country, more often than not, other people offer up theirs in response. The result is a bond stronger than the anti-choice rhetoric or the fear of retaliation or violence that too often finds its way into the political debate. In its place is empathy for the complexity of our lives, for the commonalities that bind us, for the need to keep abortion care safe and available,” says Debra Hauser, president of Advocates for Youth.
Contribute to abortion funds by providing financial and practical support to people seeking abortion care in hostile states.
