Statement on the 48th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade
BOSTON–Rebecca Hart Holder, Executive Director of NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts, issued the following statement on the 48th anniversary of Roe v. Wade:
“Forty-eight years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the right to privacy, and in doing so, granted Americans the right to safe, legal abortion care. Roe v. Wade marked a pivotal moment for gender equity, giving millions of Americans control over their lives, bodies, and futures. But Roe did not guarantee access to abortion care. Anti-choice politicians have spent decades passing laws that put medically unnecessary, anti-science laws in place aimed at preventing women and pregnant people from exercising the right to choose. Our work is to ensure everyone can access safe, legal abortion care without stigma, shame, or political interference.
“Roe has been the law of the land for nearly half a century and, today, faces its greatest threat. The Trump administration remade the federal judiciary and succeeded in confirming three anti-choice justices to the Court who would overturn Roe. The threat to Roe is real and is not going away simply because we have elected a pro-choice president. It is more important than ever that Congress and the Biden-Harris administration protect access to safe legal abortion care from the relentless onslaught of anti-choice attacks across the country.
“Less than a month ago, the Massachusetts legislature voted to override Governor Baker’s veto and passed the ROE Act. This historic law removed politically-motivated barriers to abortion care created by anti-abortion legislators in 1974 that were designed to put safe, legal abortion care out of reach. Because of the ROE Act, the Commonwealth is closer than ever to fully realizing the promise of Roe v. Wade. As our country teeters on the brink of overturning Roe, Massachusetts must continue to push forward in the name of reproductive freedom and gender equality.”
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Contact:
Jon Latino
978-870-9388