ROCHESTER, N.Y. ā Supporters of abortion rights are reacting to news of a leaked United States Supreme Court draft opinion obtained and published by POLITICO stating the court would overturn Roe v. Wade. It would give control to individual states.
This is, of course, a blow to those whoāve been fighting for abortion rights for decades.
Leading the charge is the Nation Organization for Women.
"Every single fundamental freedom that women have gained has come from the ability to control when, and if, we have families and how we have families," NOWās Rochester Chapter president, Sarah Timmerman, said. "And so to take that away is to take away all gains we have made in all aspects of society so Iām very worried and Iām very angry and I think the feeling is anger, frustration, as well as wishing that people heeded our calls for the last decade or so."
"NOW members are outraged, energized, and ready to fight back," National NOW President Christian Nunes said in a statement. "The Supreme Courtās decision will jeopardize womenās lives ā particularly the lives of young Black, Latinas, Indigenous and economically insecure women who are most at risk. Now itās up to us to vote for womenās lives."
"All of this is going to move underground," Timmerman said of her fear if it is overturned. "And all that means is that people are going to die. Itās going to be fighting like hell for people in states that are not favorable to them that do not think that they should control their own body, that think they should be forced to carry a pregnancy to term. Itās fighting like hell to get them the care that they need because theyāre still going to get abortions whether itās legal or not. We want them to get the safest abortion possible."
Protests are already underway, with abortion-rights activists mobilizing and organizing in an effort to aggressively fight the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
While this is just a leaked draft and not a done deal, NOW leaders say the incident confirms that their worst fears are coming to pass.