Reproductive Equity Now: Connecticut
Carrying forward Connecticut’s legacy of bold reproductive health care advocacy
The State of Access in Connecticut
Connecticut has seen firsthand what happens when we mobilize and organize at the state level: electing pro-choice majorities in the State House and State Senate, passing laws that expand access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health care, and most recently, implementing the Reproductive Freedom Defense Act, one of the first shield laws successfully passed post-Dobbs to protect providers and those seeking care in Connecticut.
Meet Our Connecticut State Director:
Liz Gustafson
Liz Gustafson is a proud abortion storyteller, co-founding board member of the REACH Fund of Connecticut, former clinic escort volunteer, and native Nutmeggar. Prior to joining Reproductive Equity Now as the Connecticut State Director in the summer of 2023, Liz joined Pro-Choice Connecticut in 2018 as the Organizer and Volunteer Coordinator, and later transitioned into the role of State Director in 2020 to lead the organization.
Together with elected champions and coalition partners, Liz continues to lead bold policy efforts and has secured legislative victories, including data privacy protections for those seeking and providing abortion care and the Reproductive Freedom Defense Act– the first ‘Safe Harbor’ law in the country.
She has been recognized for her commitment to protecting and expanding reproductive freedom by Cosmopolitan Magazine, and received the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Award from the Connecticut Democrats during their 2021 Women’s Leadership Awards. Prior to receiving her Masters in Social Work from the University of Connecticut in 2017, Liz graduated from the University of Tampa with a BA in Sociology and Criminology.
Our Work in Connecticut:
Reproductive Equity Now is excited to expand the capacity of advocates in Connecticut and build a regional powerhouse for abortion access. We strongly believe that Connecticut is key to making New England a regional block for abortion access.
With protections for providers on the books, in addition to digital privacy laws to protect the location and information of people accessing care in the state, Connecticut is a place where people can feel safe and protected when traveling to access compassionate care.
But there is still work to do to break down barriers to reproductive health care, especially for Black, brown, LGBTQ+, and young people. We’re growing our team and we’re expanding our capacity to think even bigger and bolder when it comes to passing reproductive equity legislation in the state.
Launching the CT
Abortion Legal Hotline
After Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 Presidential Election, posing uncertainty for the national abortion access landscape, the Reproductive Equity Now Foundation joined with Connecticut Attorney General William Tong and top law firms across Connecticut to launch the Connecticut Abortion Legal Hotline.
The Hotline connects Connecticut-based health care providers and helpers, as well as patients obtaining abortion care in Connecticut, with free and confidential legal advice and resources about their rights to access and provide lawful abortions.
Abortion providers in Connecticut and patients seeking care in the Nutmeg State can access legal advice by calling the Abortion Legal Hotline at (833) 309-6301 or by visiting the website at reproequitynow.org/hotline to use a secure form.
2024 Connecticut
Legislative Priorities
Last session, Connecticut took historic action to expand access to reproductive health care, protect patients' digital privacy, and enact one of the first shield laws to protect providers and those seeking care in Connecticut. Yet, in a post-Roe America, there is still work to be done and we’re lending our voice to several issues this year that, collectively, broaden our lens of what it means to achieve true reproductive equity in the Nutmeg State.
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News from Connecticut:
