June 29, 2020
Ms. Foundation Speaks Out on SCOTUS Decision in June Medical v. Russo
Ms. Foundation Speaks Out on SCOTUS Decision in June Medical v. Russo
NEW YORK (June 29, 2020) – Ms. Foundation for Women President and CEO Teresa C. Younger released the following statement following today’s Supreme Court decision in the case of June Medical v. Russo:
“The Ms. Foundation for Women commends today’s Supreme Court decision rendering it unlawful to require doctors who perform abortions to have admitting rights at nearby hospitals. Once again, opponents of abortion have attempted to use this familiar, political tactic to limit reproductive choice. And, once again, they were unsuccessful.
“The June Medical Services v. Russo ruling should serve as a potent reminder that people have the right to their bodily autonomy and the decision of when and how to parent, and any overreaching efforts to impede or interfere with a person’s right to choose an abortion are unconstitutional.
“Today’s decision is a victory for women in the United States, but it must not make us complacent. There has been a long-standing conservative agenda to suppress the rights of low-income women, Black women, other women of color, immigrant women, and LGBTQIA folks to receive abortion services. Even amidst COVID-19, these politicians chose to capitalize on a global pandemic to further obstruct access essential abortion care rather than focus on the health and wellbeing of their constituents. Make no mistake, decisions like today’s ruling are a step towards dismantling the patriarchy and white supremacy. And let’s be clear, this is a victory we have already won before, as noted by Chief Justice Roberts himself. Why must we continuously fight tooth and nail to protect the rights we already have, rather than proactively working to make abortion care more accessible?
“The Ms. Foundation for Women and our grantee partners are committed to the fight for reproductive freedom by prioritizing the leadership of women and girls of color. However, it is on all of us, especially in an election year, to support advocates who fight to preserve our right to safe and accessible abortion services.”
Ms. Foundation spokespeople are available for interviews by phone or in-person from NYC. To schedule, please contact Sunshine Sachs at [email protected].
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The Ms. Foundation for Women transforms our democracy by building women’s collective power. Guided by a gender and racial justice lens, we resource grassroots movements that center women and girls of color, advance feminism in philanthropy, and advocate for policies that improve women’s lives across the country. Since 1973, we’ve opened up worlds of possibility for women and girls. But to finally achieve justice for all, we need you in our fight. Learn more and get involved at ForWomen.org.