“Forced birth is violence,” reads the cardboard sign my frozen knuckles are gripping. On the other side, “my uterus, my choice” is clearly written in big bold letters. I hold my sign high and march through the streets of Washington, D.C. I march to protect women and girls everywhere.
Today marks the 50th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision that granted Americans the right to an abortion. Rather than a celebration of civil liberties, however, this anniversary unfortunately produces a stark reminder of the current post-Roe conditions.
After Roe v. Wade was struck down by the Supreme Court of the United States last year, several abortion bans have gone into effect around the country. In Dobbs v. Women’s Health Organization, only three out of nine Justices dissented from the majority conservative opinion to overturn Roe. Since then, many women across the country have lost access to safe and vital health care.
Today on what should have been a joyous occasion, thousands gathered at Women’s Marches around the country with a force “Bigger than Roe” to call for abortion rights and reproductive justice for all. I marched with hundreds of other outraged Americans in Washington, D.C. from the Freedom Plaza to the White House. Under icy gray skies, we remained emboldened chanting “stand up; fight back” and “abortion is health care” as we made our way through the city.
After the official Women’s March ended, I progressed onwards with a strong cohort of those gathered to the Supreme Court, the institution home to the destruction of civil rights for over half the nation. On the two mile journey, countless cars blew their horns in solidarity as clenched fists raised through sun roofs and out windows. Drivers and passengers alike cheered and affirmed the notion that over half of Americans believe abortion should be legal.
As I walked past the cars and pedestrians, I prominently displayed my sign at every opportunity. For me, this scribbled phrase truly encapsulates the reason why I fight for the right to an abortion. Lawmakers have no place forcing anyone to give birth. Reproductive health should be a conversation between a doctor and an individual with a uterus.
You don’t have to be pro-abortion to be pro-choice, but you do have to take a stand against women to be “pro-life.” Abortion is healthcare, and as such, banning abortion leads to women dying. While I would love to live in a world where abortion isn’t a necessary form of lifesaving medicine, that reality is simply not part of any future that I or many generations to come will experience. So protect the right to abortion. Provide safe access to health care, and keep laws off women’s bodies.