Today the Supreme Court of the United States released a majority opinion that severely restricts the right to an abortion in a 6-3 ruling. The ruling also clearly states that the rights of LGBTQ+ Americans, including the right to marry, are more than just threatened; dismantling LGBTQ+ rights is on the top of this court’s unpopular, radical agenda.
The LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert believes in the right to bodily autonomy for all people, including the right to make reproductive health decisions for themselves and their families, unrestricted by the state.
The fact is abortion will always be available, particularly for individuals who have the resources to pay for private medical procedures or travel to states like California, where they can access reproductive health freedom. Individuals who rely on state healthcare systems and community clinics, including LGBT, queer, trans, poor, black, brown, non-English speakers, and undocumented folks, will be the most impacted by this ruling and the impending restrictive laws enacted across this country.
“This court’s radical extremism is a direct assault on all people, particularly those most marginalized in our society. The freedom to decide about our bodies, healthcare, and futures is paramount to a just and free society,” said the Center’s executive director and CEO, Rob Wheeler. “There is no doubt that this court will not stop with reproductive rights. Our LGBTQ+ community must be ready to do everything in our power to secure the full promise of the 14th Amendment’s liberty guarantee of bodily autonomy, including rights to contraception, sexual intimacy, and to marry who we choose.”
We mourn for the millions of Americans for whom this ruling means more fear, uncertainty, and struggle in a nation that has long abandoned them. And while we mourn, we organize. We implore all LGBTQ+ people and allies to advocate in their local communities to support reproductive health access and to prepare for the inevitable spillover of this ruling to LGBTQ+ rights, contraceptive rights, sexual freedom, and more. The well-being of every single one of us is at stake, and we stand with you in solidarity and resolve.
