Florida NOW

Statement by NOW President Toni Van Pelt:

Forty-five years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Roe v. Wade that the constitutional right to privacy extends to a woman’s right to make her own personal medical decisions.

Today, Donald Trump and Mike Pence are determined to repeal Roe and turn back the clock on abortion, putting women’s lives at risk.

Abortion care is health care, and women’s health care is a human right. When Donald Trump took office, we took to the streets to march and raise our voices in defense of our rights. One year later, our cause is just as great, and our voices just as strong.

The threat to Roe may be one Supreme Court vacancy away. But in the states, extremist laws that mandate harmful, medically-unnecessary restrictions on abortion are already proliferating. And extremist anti-choice Republicans in Congress are pushing laws that will restrict access to safe and legal abortion and threaten abortion providers with jail.

We must tell Donald Trump and the Republican Congress to respect the law of the land. Women need Roe, and today, Roe needs us.

Contact

Emily Imhoff, press@now.org, 951-547-1241

HHS’s New Division of Conscience and Religious Freedom Targets Women:

The Trump Administration has announced the creation of a new “conscience and religious freedom” division within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that will have the effect of fostering further discrimination against women, transgender individuals and others seeking full access to health care.

This dangerous move upends the core principles of medical care—the Hippocratic Oath that tells physicians, “first, do no harm,” and opens the door to medical care bigotry.

Allowing a doctor, nurse or other healthcare workers to deny medical care that goes against their so-called moral or religious beliefs would do tremendous harm, not only to individuals suffering from a medical emergency but to the fabric of society itself.

We must not tolerate a two-tier system for health care, one for “good Christians” and one for everyone else. Women have made their personal health care decisions based on their own moral and in some cases religious convictions.

The opening of this division puts in place systematic, intrusive oppression and must not be allowed to stand. If healthcare workers including doctors, feel they can not perform their professional duty they need to find other work instead of pushing their personal belief system on others. That’s what bullies do.

There’s no such thing as a religious exception to providing basic healthcare for women, LGBTQIA+ people or anyone else. This egregious act of gender bigotry must be overturned.

Contact

Emily Imhoff, press@now.org, 951-547-1241

NOW President Toni Van Pelt Joins March for Life Protest at U.S. Supreme Court:

As a “peaceful counter-presence” to the divisive, anti-abortion March for Life, supporters of reproductive freedom will gather at noon on Friday, January 19 in front of the U.S. Supreme Court.

“Imagine what it would be like if Roe v. Wade had never happened,” said Toni Van Pelt, President of the National Organization for Women (NOW).

“Imagine a return to back-alley abortions. Imagine low-income young women forced to travel hundreds of miles across multiple state lines to find a state where abortion remains legal. Imagine a meteoric rise in maternal and infant mortality rates.

“This nightmare is the fondest dream of anti-choice extremists who want to repeal Roe v. Wade. They’re using today’s Roe anniversary to double down on overturning the law of the land.”

Friday’s protest is supported by the National Organization for Women, the Feminist Majority Foundation, Lady Parts Justice and allies.

Contact

Emily Imhoff, press@now.org, 951-547-1241