*This article is solely the opinion of the author and does not reflect the views of Lasell College or Her Campus. *
We get it, abortion is a topic that isn’t easy to talk about without there being a huge debate and screaming battle of who’s right and who’s wrong. Personally, I am pro-choice, and believe that women deserve to be able to control their bodies, whether it be birth control, abortions, sterilization, or none of the above; It’s their body, therefore their choice of what to do with it.
New York recently has passed a law, on the 46th anniversary of Roe V. Wade nonetheless, to protect a woman’s access to abortion in case Roe V. Wade is overturned. This law also allows women access to late term abortions if the mother or fetus is at risk.
“Today we are taking a giant step forward in the hard-fought battle to ensure a woman’s right to make her own decisions about her own personal health, including the ability to access an abortion,” New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo said as he signed the New York Reproductive Health Act. “With the signing of this bill, we are sending a clear message that whatever happens in Washington, women in New York will always have the fundamental right to control their own body.”
It’s been very up in the air what exactly Trump has in store for women’s health care nationally, but New York is pushing to make sure their residents are safe no matter what. This is a bold move for Cuomo, who New York residents (me personally) haven’t always agreed with in the past. With his new election term, he seems to be moving more towards the liberal and progressive agenda. As someone who’s looking for change to be made for this country, I couldn’t be happier. Many people cheered when this law was put into place because they wanted the same ideas pushed, me included.
State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said, “While the administration in Washington continues its assault on women’s reproductive rights, the Assembly Majority remains dedicated to fighting for a woman’s right to choose. The bills we passed today ensure New Yorkers can control their family planning decisions, have access to the reproductive healthcare they need and will not be discriminated against for their choices. With our new partners in the Senate, we have finally seen this legislation pass both houses and signed into law on the anniversary of the historic Roe V. Wade decision.”
It’s been extremely disheartening to see many women from my hometown in New York and surrounding states speak against this law and say how disgusted they are to allow abortions to continue up until birth. These women, many of whom take birth control, don’t realize how these go hand in hand. Women before them had to fight day and night to make sure women received these rights and they were not just seen as a “privilege”. Supporting women’s reproductive health care does not just stop at birth control, there needs to be equal representation for all aspects of it. For those people, I would say they just need to do a bit more research of what they are exactly boycotting, and fact checking the articles that are circulating Facebook.
This law is not for those who decide at 39 weeks that they no longer would like to carry their child. That’s extremely ridiculous for anyone to spend that amount of time with a child in the womb only to decide they no longer want it. Instead, it’s for those that are suffering. It’s for those whose lives are morally threatened, mother or fetus, and allows the doctor to abort and save a life, instead of being prosecuted for doing so, like the previous laws had in place.
Women have been fighting so hard for their voices to be heard and for the nation to stop turning back time on women’s rights. This is a step in the right direction for them and I could not be happier to be a resident in a state where the male governor cares enough to support and protect the health of the women of New York.
This is what we march for.