Today the Texas Freedom Network joined with six coalition partners for a “Call to Action” on reproductive health care at the Texas Capitol. Here’s the joint press release we sent out:
TEXANS DEMAND ACCESS TO REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE
Attacks on Reproductive Health Care Must Be Stopped, Advocates, Faith Leaders, and Lawmakers Tell Crowd
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 26, 2015Today a diverse group of Texans from across the state joined forces with a broad coalition of organizations at the Texas State Capitol to call on lawmakers to support policies that restore trust in Texans to make their own reproductive health care decisions, respect for health care professionals, and access to safe, timely abortion care.
Speaking at an event on the Capitol steps, Amy Hagstrom Miller, president of Whole Woman’s Health, explained that the Trust. Respect. Access. campaign aims to build a movement for reproductive freedom in Texas.
“Texans have endured tremendous political interference that has eroded access to quality healthcare across the state, all based on the lies of extremist politicians,” she said. “Today we commit to change the conversation around abortion, reverse some of the most restrictive policies on reproductive healthcare and push for more proactive legislation that protects and preserves reproductive rights.”
Candice Russell shared a personal abortion story that stressed the impact restrictive policies like House Bill 2 have on the lives of Texans.
“I spent a lot of time fighting against HB 2’s restrictions – restrictions that I never thought were going to personally impact me,” Russell said. “After realizing I was pregnant again last year, I needed to travel to California to undergo my surgical abortion.”
Hundreds of advocates spent the day visiting legislative offices to urge lawmakers to reverse the damage caused by laws that restrict access to the full range of reproductive health care.
Kathy Miller, president of Texas Freedom Network, emphasized that this day of action was part of the comprehensive, multi-year Trust. Respect. Access. campaign.
“Our campaign isn’t just about the bills that legislators are considering this session,” Miller said. “Today we are all committing to a long, sustained effort to roll back the reckless attacks on reproductive health care and restore trust in Texans to make our own decisions about whether and when to have children without the interference of meddling politicians.”
The coalition partners leading this coordinated effort include: ACLU of Texas, NARAL Pro-Choice Texas, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health, Planned Parenthood Texas Votes, Texas Freedom Network, Texas Research Institute, and Whole Woman’s Health.
2 Comments
Enough is more than enough. ALL of the antiabortion movements are based on RELIGION. Because it IS religious in its intent, ALL antiabortion legislation must be overturned.
This is a SECULAR REPUBLIC, religion has no place in a secular republic. This is NOT a Christian nation, in fact, according to the treaty of Tripoli, this country is in no way a Christian nation.
“President John Adams, signed the Treaty of Tripoli, his outreach to Muslims,” Olbermann said. “Quote, ‘The government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion.’ That was ratified by the United States Senate without debate unanimously in 1797.”
That should put a nail in the coffin of those who think we are a Christian nation and that the SEPARATION of church and state is and always has been the law of the land since its beginning.
Anyone who denies that fact of life is guilty of treason and should be dealt with accordingly.
No laws banning abortion, being religious at its heart, must be ignored and removed from all legislation that hurts and even kills women because of religious bigotry.
Men wish to control women, so it has been since the beginning of humanity. One day, and I hope it is very soon, those religious wimps will be exposed for what they are and find themselves behind bars for a minimum of ten years.
Thank you to all the organizations that participated. Sincerely, thank you.