Reproductive rights rallies held in all 50 states Oct. 2

In protest of recent abortion restrictions, Women’s March hopes to send a message to the Supreme Court. WikiCommons

Trigger warning: rape, sexual assault 

In response to recent threats to reproductive rights, Women’s March held over 500 rallies this past weekend in support of abortion justice. The rallies were held Oct. 2, two days before the Supreme Court reconvenes for its new term. 

Back in September, the Supreme Court chose not to block Texas’ six week abortion ban, inciting immediate panic among pro-choice activists. Many now fear Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court case that secured a woman’s right to an abortion, is in danger of being overturned. The Supreme Court is set to hear a case from the state of Mississippi regarding a 15 week abortion ban announced Dec. 1.

Multiple abortion rights protests have been held in Texas since the state’s own six week ban went into effect Sept. 2. Women’s March decided to organize rallies in all 50 states to send a bigger, unified message to the Supreme Court. 

The Women’s March in Tustin, California kicked off at 2 p.m. in Peppertree Park. District 1 councilwoman Rebecca Gomez, the first Latinx individual to serve on Tustin’s city council, told the crowd how her experience as a healthcare worker shaped her views on abortion. 

“I saw young girls — young girls getting pregnant,” Gomez said. “Reproductive rights is not just a women’s issue but a family issue.”  

The event’s organizer, Michele Falvo, spoke of when she was brutally raped by an ex-boyfriend in her own apartment 30 years ago and called out representatives passing restrictive abortion laws. 

“I was barely functioning; I certainly was not keeping track of if I had missed a period,” Falvo said. “Until you know the pain (and) the trauma of being raped, you can never know why a woman must choose to abort.” 

The Rally ended with a surprise guest: Rep. Katie Porter (CA-45). Porter took to the stage to discuss reproductive rights. 

“Every family needs to be able to decide for themselves what is right for them,” Porter said as the audience broke out in cheers. Several families were noticeable in the crowd. “Especially because this is personal choice, this is freedom. Politicians should be protecting our freedoms, not taking them away.” 

Gwen McNallan, president of Laguna Beach Democratic Club, led the organization of the Women’s March in Orange County.  

“(I hope the march will) sound the alarm across America that women’s rights and reproductive health are in the crosshairs of right-wing governors in states dominated by the GOP,” McNallan told The Panther.

The marches also highlighted economic issues that should be amended to help families who wish to have children. Porter emphasized the importance of paid family leave and affordable housing in order to make raising a child more financially feasible.

“Do you know what the single best predictor of bankruptcy is?” Porter asked the crowd in Tustin rhetorically. “Having a child.”

Women’s March organizers had asked participants to not dress as characters from the dystopian novel, “The Handmaid’s Tale,” who exist in a country where the government has full control over women’s bodies. The red cloaks worn by the handmaids have been a popular choice at pro-choice rallies in the past. However, the Women’s March released a statement denouncing this costume and also banned coat hanger imagery and weapons of any kind from the event. 

“(The costume) erases the fact that Black women, undocumented women, incarcerated women, poor women and disabled women have always had their reproduction freedom controlled in this country,” the statement said. 

Anti-abortion rallies have also been gaining momentum around the country. Thousands gathered for Pennsylvania's “March For Life Rally” Sep. 27, including Republican leaders like Pennsylvania House Speaker Bryan Cutler.

"We hear you loud and clear," Culter assured pro-life activists in the crowd. "Life begins at conception."  

A CBS news poll found that 67% of Americans want Roe v. Wade to remain as is, while 28% want it overturned. As the December hearing for the Mississippi abortion ban approaches, anticipation on both sides is growing. No matter the outcome of the case, the fallout is likely to be a passionate one.